Eastern Promises

No one: Viggo Mortensen: Oh, you touch my tralala, mmm, my ding ding dong. Cool movie, it has some gore and some flaws in plot development but it was a good watch.

Not a bad movie. Eastern promises has the BBC style of British films. Crisp, and straight forward is the movie with a mix of Cronenbergs brutality. Hands being chopped, violent fights, and the ugliness of prostitution is portrayed in this movie. I grew up in a Slavic culture, and the movie address the frankness, hardness of the culture with the mix of joking and friendship. The film reminds me of the many family event I have attended. Brovo for the films research! The film unravels a few mysteries, but has a disappointing ending. The reaction I had for the ending is That's it. What a disappointment. I knew the ending was for dramatic purposes I guess I am so use to the more TV style of rap up endings. 6 out of 10. Maybe 7. A good rental.

Eastern Promises is not a pleasant film. Imagine a darker version of A History of Violence with a heavy emphasis on the Russian mob. The plots of those two movies aren't similar, but the uncomfortable realism of them both is the common thread that binds them together. I don't consider myself squeamish, but Eastern Promises made me positively cringe at times. Not at any excessive violence or profanity, but because it immerses you in a story and a world that's quite possibly not very different from reality. It all seems so realistic, that it reminded me that these kind of events are the actual lives of real people out there. The quality of the acting is just that outstanding. I can't say that I loved watching Eastern Promises, but I can say that it was a very good movie. Quality and enjoyment don't always go hand-in-hand. I recommend it to anyone who can appreciate a grim movie about a bleak world.

I have always liked David Cronenberg as a director. "Scanners", "The Fly", "Naked Lunch", "Crash" and "A History of Violence" are truly one of a kind. So although "Eastern Promises" has a good premise and pulls no punches, the movie has a problem: it has long since become a cliché to portray Russians as gangsters. I know that we had the Cold War, but seriously. I've twice been to Russia and stayed in people's homes there, so I find it hard to view the place negatively. In fact, I secretly had a crush on my St. Petersburg host sister Marina (OK, I'll be totally candid: I still fantasize about her, and it arouses me to even think about her as I write about her). Why can't they just have American gangsters? I mean, we've had the mafia for years. Otherwise, it's worth seeing, although squeamish people should avoid it. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Armin Mueller-Stahl.

Watched Cronenbergs 'Eastern Promises' today and feel it is a real gem. Visually splendid (lush), excellent casting, intelligent acting and assured direction. The violence is quick, exact and horrible as it should be portrayed. I enjoy watching all creative people going from strength to strength or discovering those who are as accomplished yet not as well known. I must say, Viggo presents a brutality along with the simmering possibility there is possibly another dimension. All the actors have been tempered enough to show their capabilities. All those involved in this movie should be congratulated.