rating:
(out of
4 stars)United Kingdom, Canada, United States; 2007
Directed by David Cronenberg; produced by Robert Lantos, Paul Webster; screenplay by Steven Knight
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Olegar Fedoro, Jerzy Skolimowski
After 2005's 'A History of Violence' director David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen team up once again for 'Eastern Promises'. If they are able to keep the level of their films this high, I see no reason why they should stop doing that. For Mortensen particularly it was great move, avoiding the big chance he would be Aragorn (or a character like that) from 'The Lord of the Rings' forever. Although Cronenberg already has his share of good films, both 'A History of Violence' and 'Eastern Promises' belong to his best. For those who can stand the blood, they are also the most accessible.
The opening scenes here set the tone. A throat is slit, the camera watches, a little longer than we are used to. The next sequence involves a girl heavily bleeding. She gives birth to a child and dies. In the hospital the child is taken care of by Anna (Naomi Watts), also getting her hands on the dead girl's diary. Through the diary, written in Russian, we meet Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), head of a Russian crime organisation in London, who offers to translate it for her. Kirill (Vincent Cassel) is his son, Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) their driver. Since the diary could be harmful to them they want it back. At first Anna is slow to understand where she has gotten herself into, but, mostly through Nikolai, she is a fast learner.
Cronenberg pulls a small 'Godfather' here, meaning he is able to show a world from within. The comparison is too much, but the scenes behind the closed doors of the organisation elevate the film to a higher level. The uncompromising handling of the subject, the brutality that comes with it, deserves praise. The opening scenes are important; Cronenberg basically says he will not soften events and he keeps his word. There is a fight scene between Mortensen and two hitmen, hand to knife, that is as brutal as it is brilliant. No fast editing, like we see in too many films, but one of the most believable and realistic fights I have seen in any film. Mortensen also impresses in how far he is willing to go to make a scene work.
The ending of 'Eastern Promises' is less impressive than we might expect, but will satisfy most viewers. I have no real problems with it, but it seems more conventional than it needs to be. Of course this also has to do with the strength of everything we have seen before. When you raise the bar this high, I guess it is not possible to keep getting over it. Most Cronenberg films are interesting to watch; 'Eastern Promises' is exactly that, and something more.