Eastern Promises

Despite its simple plot, this impressive, small-scale intimate drama left a stronger impression on me than the spectacular American Gangster. Eastern Promises is a sophisticated film affair for the non-popcorn viewer, in which everything fits together like the cogs in Viggo Mortensen’s ten-thousand-dollar wristwatch. Supported by fantastic actors, David Cronenberg confirms his mastery in terms of creating characters. Mortensen’s best performance so far. Also, the portrayal of the Russian mafia setting is incredibly powerful and authentic for the peace-loving Canadian Cronenberg. And as a bonus, there’s the excellent sauna scene that bears the director’s traditional signature. This is the best of Cronenberg’s last five films. (10.01.2008)

With a bit of exaggeration, Naomi Watts's character seems to have fallen out of a naive Danielle Steele novel, creating a perfect contrast with the hard male world of the criminal underworld that has a somewhat uncompromising touch (detailed throat slashing, a knife stabbing an eyeball). It's in fact this contrast that is the greatest strength of the story, which is not very revelatory, but it must be said that Cronenberg's understated direction is very pleasant and effective, because despite the trivial plot, his film manages to draw you into the action so that the 100 minutes go by so quickly. Compared to the previous and weak A History of Violence, it is really very engaging with some truly unforgettable scenes (the opening fight in the sauna with Mortensen in a birthday suit). I could watch the phenomenal trio of Mueller-Stahl, Cassel, Mortensen for days. (08.01.2008)

Pretty restrained for Cronenberg, but you can still see his style. Like most films of his I’ve watched, this one felt very cold, but it still managed to capture my attention thanks to the intense rawness. Cronenberg is not for everyone, but I like playing his emotionally detached games sometimes. 80% (18.08.2008)

Cronenberg left the fantasy world of human obsessions for good and began to explore ordinary people in liminal situations. The synopsis of Russian gangsters in London smacked of fake nasal accents and litres of vodka, and yet the result is more about the confrontation of different worlds. When we enter it, we can't get out, whether it’s the mafia driver with a secret, the nurse with an internal stigma, or the Ukrainian emigrant playing the involuntary role of a prostitute. It's gripping in moments and emotionally fulfilling on the whole, though the epilogue could be explored for long moments. And as paradoxical as it sounds, Eastern Promises is a very different alternative to Love Actually as a London Christmas film. 4 ½. (21.12.2007)

The divorce of Cronenberg's directing brilliance from A History of Violence. Whilst therein the ordinariness (and its contrast with violence) focused on the average American family, in Eastern Promises, Cronenberg paradoxically concentrates it on the world of rafts in the law (the Russian mafia). Anyone expecting to see things as black and white, disgusting caricatures or demonization, is going to be surprised. Cronenberg gives the same amount of space to both the average family and the mobsters, lets them dine, pamper their children, and pays the same amount of attention to a slit neck as people sitting and listening to a Garmon player. The result is a fascinating narrative tone that rarely raises its voice (and it is then that the film is slightly marred by the false tone of the great drama). Viggo Mortensen is amazing, and this is one of the actor's most impressive physical performances that can be seen today. Naomi blooms, regardless of the wrinkles. Negative aspects? Again, the script, which has holes in the logic and structure of the story. And also the twist, which, unlike A History of Violence, rather flattens the main character. Which doesn't change the fact that Eastern Promises is a fantastic thriller and Cronenberg is in his prime. [85%] (13.01.2008)

Good advice is better than gold - and believe me this is a good maxim to follow. The second picture by the “new", more approachable Cronenberg is in many ways like the first. And in many ways it is a bit weird. A movie about Russians where they speak, sing and everything else in Russian. However not a single Slav figures in the international cast. As a result it is conspicuous in the intonation, like it or not. It’s not exactly that dumb Hollywood idea of an affected Russian accent, but still. On the other hand, you might not notice, because otherwise the actors are utterly convincing. Not just Mortensen or Cassel, but also the absolutely perfect Armin Mueller-Stahl. But still, it was Viggo who left me with the deepest impression. His calm, confident demeanor speaks volumes. When he makes that gestures toward his uncle in front of the restaurant, you know that if you were there you would never leave the house again and couldn’t look forward to a good night’s sleep for the foreseeable future. The fight in the spa that everybody is raving about it simply... Realistically powerful. But what brings the movie down most is the rather surprising plot. The entire storyline with Naomi Watts is interesting, but seems added on later. Even the sudden ending is untraditional, but... And that’s precisely it. Eastern Promises have rather too many of those for my taste. I’m not saying that this isn’t a very good movie, but just that it could have been better. Considerably better. (10.01.2008)

Cronenberg shines again! The guy's a genius. It's a gritty tale of crime and redemption with an unusual (hidden) tenderness. Cronenberg uses every possible allusion to develop the story. He draws us into the story, immerses us emotionally to the characters, who are not portrayed as either bad or good. And this is Cronenberg's masterful talent, to show us each character as he wishes, without any preconceived notion, and absentmindedly bringing the audience to play emotionally with them. The sauna scene is clearly the film's highlight. 75%. (05.01.2014)

Just when I thought I had Cronenberg figured out and not particularly inclined towards my taste, something like this comes along. While in A History of Violence he only touched on the gangsters and wrapped the whole story in somewhat unbelievable personal drama, Eastern Promises is a whole different story. Their simple yet sufficiently detailed story reveals both the complicated personal life of Anna and the hierarchy of a community where they speak with a very distinctive accent and secretly give dirty orders. Thanks to Mortensen's perfect performance, the viewer doesn't escape from that evil and chilling world for even a minute. (07.02.2008)

When watching Eastern Promises, many film fans probably thought, "Thank God that Cronenberg has gained some common sense in his old age and started making understandable genre films accessible to a wider audience." I prefer the old "perverse" Cronenberg, who experimented and came up with original stories beyond the mainstream of cinema. Eastern Promises is not bad at all, although the script is definitely not original and an experienced viewer can guess where the story is heading after a while. For example, the scriptwriter lacked the courage to cross the genre taboo of the death of a child character. What makes this thriller stand out and surpass average productions is the excellent cast and great performances, far from typical B-movies. The atmosphere of the foreign Russian mafia with its secret rituals, tattoos, and "mythology" is naturally attractive. Overall impression: 75%. The depiction of several overly naturalistic shots, such as the stabbing of a human eye in a fight or the mutilation of a corpse, disturbed me, but many fans will probably appreciate it. :-) (26.09.2008)

A raw massacre/drama with a deadly Mortensen in a great role of a Russian hitman. Cronenberg’s powerful directing turns this fairly standard story into more and some scenes are among the best I’ve seen since this genre came into being. Have you got hair dryer? (05.08.2010)

A slow and ethereal film without any unexpected twists, lightning-fast executions, or a pile of violence, but it still carries the typical signature of the renowned director. The depiction of the cold atmosphere of the Russian mafia is incredible, as well as the accent of Vincent Cassel and Viggo Mortensen, whose training must have been unbelievable. You can literally feel the typical scent of borscht oozing from the screen. There’s surprisingly little violence and blood, but there is one wild scene, a thrilling fight in the sauna, which has no equivalent in modern Hollywood. Intensely paced, narratively clear, and capturing the Eastern atmosphere in a modern metropolis, this captivating non-mainstream mainstream film needs to be seen in the evening with not a single light in the room. (19.07.2008)

It’s hard to believe this wasn't made by a worthy member of the Russian mafia. A chillingly authentic glimpse into the bloody world of a criminal organization that begins to shake at its foundations after the discovery of the diary of an abused underage prostitute. The story is simple, with no major unexpected twists, but it’s spectacularly filmed, with Cronenberg's traditional sense of intense and shocking violence and a well-developed psychology of several central players whose actions are closely interconnected. The already oppressive atmosphere is made even more dynamic by the fact that we don't know where to place one character and what to expect from him (Mortensen's tough henchman). The actors are all excellent, the script is quite clever and the fight scene in the sauna is one of the most iconic in recent years. If it weren't for the contrived happy ending and a few genre clichés, my satisfaction would have been even higher... 85% (24.07.2012)

For the second time, hovering between a three and a four. With the fourth one being put together by scenes like the fight in the sauna, the razor grinding on the neck, or the line "You have no mother. She was a whore anyway". The film is terribly infantile and naive in places. Whether in motivations (Naomi Watts), characters (Vincent Cassel), or scenes. What stuck with me the most was Anna's first meeting with Semyon. After the initial icebreakers, he shows her around his mansion and is insistently reminiscent of Willie Wonka in his factory. Why does the mob boss have to announce when he approaches two little girls with violins such a clichéd phrase as "You must practice more!" is a mystery. The clichédness seems almost a directorial intention at times, which doesn't really correspond with the attempt to show the hidden face of London. Such a pity. (08.10.2010)

On my second viewing, I had to raise my original rating by one star, if for nothing else than Viggo Mortensen's selfless performance in the sauna. I like movies about organized crime, but I'm more of a fan of the Sicilian mafia; Russian gangs just don't do it for me. I find this film quite exceptional, as no one in it wears a tracksuit designed by a company whose logo features stripes, a leaping predator, or a swoosh; instead, those large tattoos mostly remained hidden under custom-made suits. Plus, the film was well cast, the roles were well-acted, and the atmosphere was wonderfully grim, which is exactly my kind of thing. (31.07.2017)