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Eastern Promises [Blu-ray] [2007]
from Pathe Distribution
starring Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl
directed by David Cronenberg

Features:

• PAL

Editorial Review:

Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl

David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in Eastern Promises, a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmas time in London, a baby is born to a teenage junkie--an event that leads a midwife (Naomi Watts) into the world of the Russian mob. Central to this world is an ambitious enforcer (Viggo Mortensen) who's lately buddied up with the reckless son (Vincent Cassel) of a mob boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl, doing his benign-sinister thing). Screenwriter Steve Knight also wrote Dirty Pretty Things, and in some ways this is a companion piece to that film, though utterly different in style. The plot is classical to the point of being familiar, but Cronenberg doesn't allow anything to become sentimental; he and his peerless cinematographer Peter Suschitzky take a cool, controlled approach to this story. Because of that, when the movie erupts in its (relatively brief) violence, it's genuinely shocking. Cronenberg really puts the viewer through it, as though to shame the easy purveyors of pulp violence--nobody will cheer when the blood runs in this film. Still, Eastern Promises has a furtive humour, nicely conveyed in Viggo Mortensen's highly original performance. Covered in tattoos, his body a scroll depicting his personal history of violence, Mortensen conveys a subtle blend of resolve and lost-ness. He's a true, haunting mystery man. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

Stills from Eastern Promises (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.

Vincent Cassel (left) and Viggo Mortensen (right).	Armin Mueller-Stahl.	Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right)
Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right).	Naomi Watts.	Armin Mueller-Stahl (left) and Naomi Watts (right).
Mina E. Mina (left), Vincent Cassel (center) and Viggo Mortensen (right).	Vincent Cassel.	Viggo Mortensen.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• Strong?
  Viggo Mortensen is a great actor which he clearly shows in this film. The story is clear and you get a good look into the director and writers interpretation of the Russian mafia set in London. The atmosphere is excellent and I sat amazed through most of the movie. Most meaning that it was rather long. I am no big fan of Naomi Watts and I thought she did her job on this film, no more no less. But thats probably just me.
  If your are interested in Russian society set in western Europe this is a movie... more info

• Great movie
  Viggo Mortensen is a rara avis among actors with a wide range of performances , in this superbly shot movie plays a Russian mafia henchman but there is more that meets the eye.
  Nearly all the other performances are excellent including Naomi Watts ( although nothing compared to Mullholland drive ) .The locations provide a classy and airy feeling that adds danger to the movie transforming a quiet residential part of London into a lawless suburb.
  The movie did not do well in the box office and went... more info

• not great, not terrible
  Solid entertainment, but nothing really resonated other than one uber-violent scene. I felt Vincent Cassel's performance as a latently gay Russian Mobster's son far outshone that of Viggo Mortensen, who was good in his own right.
  Still, by the end I'd never come to care for the young girl the story centered around or, for that matter, any of the other key players. Violence can be an incredibly effective tool when it comes to telling a story, but violence simply for the sake of violence feels like a... more info

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