Very Cool!!!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Blistering performances.

With shades of film-noir and clear inspirations from legendary mob films like "The Godfather (1972)", "Goodfellas (1990)" and "Casino (1995)", Eastern Promises (2007) unfolds as one of the greatest modern crime films of the 21st Century. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, and Armin Mueller-Stahl and is directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome, Dead Ringers). The story, one of intertwined violence, corruption and mystery, focuses on a Russian mob family who may be tied to the rape and murder of a Russian teenager living in London. Her diary, which contained the secrets leading up to her demise, is found by British-Russian midwife Anna Khitrova and compels her to fill in the missing pieces. Anna's search for these answers is accompanied by the posthumous narration of the victim.What separates this film from many modern crime films is the mood of the characters and the noirish atmosphere these moods seem to permeate. The musical score, composed by Howard Shore ("LOTR" franchise, dare I say more), is so evocative of the time it is portraying that to call it simply 'fitting' for the film would be an understatement - it becomes a character in itself and plays an integral role in shaping the film's authenticity and style.It is so refreshing to witness a more recent film where the characters and story develop honestly, not in a contrived manner. It's a testament to the film's storytelling and respect for its audience - where feelings and inner conflicts are at the forefront; and the violence isn't so much exploited as it is a punctuation of the characters. EP pays homage to some of the greatest classic mob films while injecting enough mystery and charm in it to become a unique entry into the genre.

In some ways the spiritual successor to David Cronenberg's previous film 'A History Of Violence', 'Eastern Promises' deals with themes of violence, family, loyalty, betrayal and deceit. This sub-text is handled subtly, despite being rich and begging to be unravelled; it never becomes heavy-handed or detracts from the overall enjoyment of the film. Indeed, both Cronenberg and Steven Knight (the writer) ask questions that are never answered: either because the film wants you to decide, or because a definitive answer is literally impossible. The film lingers with you long after it is over, and a genuinely unexpected surprise makes you want to watch it all over again with fresh eyes.The movie is incredibly realistic, accurately portraying both London's Russian mob and the violent acts they commit. Speaking of which, the violence - while infrequent - is shocking and grizzly: it isn't exaggerated or understated, filmed in an expert manner which makes you almost feel as though you're the one being attacked. A gruelling fight scene later in the film proves this, allowing you to feel like you are really there. You're never sure what is going to happen; characters often hide their true intentions and none of them are ever given a safety net. The performances here are all top-notch, particularly that of Viggo Mortenson and Armin Mueller-Stahl - the former playing a 'driver' for the mob, always inching closer to becoming part of the family, and the latter playing the leader. Mortenson is especially impressive, perfectly carrying himself and speaking with a convincing accent - you could easily mistake him for actually being Russian. All of the accents are pretty good, although Vincent Cassel does sound decidedly French, and no-one gives a bad or unconvincing performance.The story as a whole is pretty small in scope, beginning with the audience in place of Naomi Watts' character - only seeing glimpses of the mob from the outside - before we slowly change perspectives to follow Viggo Mortenson's character - who works his way into the family, and brings the viewer with him. I was compelled throughout the narrative and, though it seemed to loose focus somewhat, thought that it concluded naturally. The ending doesn't truly feel like an ending, with life seeming to continue. Not much has actually changed, though things have been revealed and characters have certainly gone through their arcs. I think that the film ends when it does because the audience has transferred back to following Watts' character and the final scene is the last time she encounters the strange world of the mob. It also wraps up the story involving the baby, who is essentially the driving force of the movie.'Eastern Promises' is a film that lingers on long after the credits have rolled, one that leaves an after-taste which makes it hard to resist revisiting. It becomes infinitely more complex after the first viewing alone. Each character is well-written, with hidden motives and personality traits seamlessly woven into their every action: almost all of them act a certain way to mask their true intentions or desires, and these are hinted at through brilliant acting and an amazing script. The direction is fantastic too, with smooth camera work that effortlessly frames all of the action and several hidden long takes. No cut feels jarring, and at no point was I pulled out of the story to be reminded it is only a film; it had me hooked from beginning to end. Even though it sometimes seems to be going nowhere, after the first viewing everything falls into place.I think this is a very good movie, one that is perhaps underrated and not talked about nearly enough, that features an excellent cast and lead performance; it is expertly written and directed perfectly. 7/10.

You can't mention "Eastern Promises" without also bringing up Viggo Mortensen, whom, in a movie full of great acting, leads the pack. That Russian accent couldn't have been easy to master, yet he wears it like a tailored suit. And he's so restrained composed in this role - you know he's a scary bastard, but he never raises his voice. And get a load of the mundane look on his face as he snips a corpse's fingers for disposal.Aside from the sporadic bouts of violence (particularly the brutal bathhouse fight scene), the movie is largely as quiet as its star. Especially for a seedy gangster movie. And despite the dark undercurrent flowing throughout, there's a sweetness at the movie's end that seems life-affirming in the face of all of this grisly death. Just as it is seemingly damning.I guess I didn't know what to expect with this, but it sucked me right in.7/10

This is one of the greatest UK produced movies. UK movie industry is and will always be thousands of times more entertaining than Hollywood's crap.In this movie for instance.. the plots are simultaneous and unpredictive. Hollywood's scenes are too predictive and we even know what the actors will say before they say it.In the case of Eastern Promises, the acting is beautiful. Viggo's Russian is fantastic and I made believe he was actually Russian, until I checked out that he's originally Norwegian.The whole setting of the Russian family with their foot struck in London's underbelly is fascinating; especially the wickedness of Viggo's undercover role.Viggo is one of the most talented actors of this age. Every movie he is in, he does a marvelous job in acting it out; unlike brad pitt for instance.. every movie i see brad pitt not the character he's portraying... not to mention the stupidity of his roles.Nevertheless, UK movie industry is producing spectacular films and I feel very entertained watching each and everyone of them.