Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)
starring: Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinéad Cusack
directed by: David Cronenberg
directed by: David Cronenberg
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Product Description:
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca)Release Date: 01/27/2009Run time: 101 minutesRating: R
Amazon.com:
David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in Eastern Promises, a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmastime 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 humor, 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
Stills from Eastern Promises (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca)Release Date: 01/27/2009Run time: 101 minutesRating: R
Amazon.com:
David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in Eastern Promises, a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmastime 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 humor, 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
Stills from Eastern Promises (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.
Vincent Cassel (left) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Armin Mueller-Stahl (center) stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
| Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Naomi Watts stars in David Cronenberg's new thriller EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Armin Mueller-Stahl (left) and Naomi Watt (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
| Mina E. Mina (left), Vincent Cassel (center) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Vincent Cassel stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. | Viggo Mortensen stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- What an intense movie!
What an intense movie.The best fight scene I've ever seen.Naked with knives spells hurt.Very painful to watch.Viggo Mortensen did a great job - a departure from his other movies.
Rating: - "Forget any of this happened. Stay away from people like me."
It's now 2009, and you would think that we would learn from our mistakes when it comes to bad movies . . . uh-huh. These past years, we've been tortured by three family-friendly High School Musical films, poor comedies like The Love Guru, teenage garbage such as 13 Going on 30, sappy fantasies like Eragon, etc. But hey, at least many of the action films were good to watch. Even though I'm in my early 20's, I'm a bit saddened that today's generation has ignored many classic films such as The Godfather ... Read More
Rating: - Great movie.....
Much better than Cronenberg's previous movie "History of Violence"...Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: - The illustrated Man
Tattoos can tell stories. This is a small film with big ideas and is remarkably well acted. The story concerns a young pregnant girl who dies but the baby survives. A hospital worker discovers a Russian diary on the dead girl and uncovers a sinister Russian prostitution ring and befriends a Russian mobster who may or may not be able to help her. It is very dark material at times but turns out to be a surprisingly excellent film although excessive as Cronenberg's style usually is. If you like good drama ... Read More
Rating: - 3 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
Naomi Watts is annoying bushy-tailed and the central mystery is a bit of an old hat, but Viggo Mortensen is electric, dominating every scene he's in and drawing in the viewers even when the script doesn't match his brilliance--throw in one of the best fight scenes ever staged on film (seriously) and there are plenty of reasons to watch this uneven but entertaining movie.
- What an intense movie!What an intense movie.The best fight scene I've ever seen.Naked with knives spells hurt.Very painful to watch.Viggo Mortensen did a great job - a departure from his other movies.
- "Forget any of this happened. Stay away from people like me."It's now 2009, and you would think that we would learn from our mistakes when it comes to bad movies . . . uh-huh. These past years, we've been tortured by three family-friendly High School Musical films, poor comedies like The Love Guru, teenage garbage such as 13 Going on 30, sappy fantasies like Eragon, etc. But hey, at least many of the action films were good to watch. Even though I'm in my early 20's, I'm a bit saddened that today's generation has ignored many classic films such as The Godfather ... Read More
- Great movie.....Much better than Cronenberg's previous movie "History of Violence"...Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
- The illustrated ManTattoos can tell stories. This is a small film with big ideas and is remarkably well acted. The story concerns a young pregnant girl who dies but the baby survives. A hospital worker discovers a Russian diary on the dead girl and uncovers a sinister Russian prostitution ring and befriends a Russian mobster who may or may not be able to help her. It is very dark material at times but turns out to be a surprisingly excellent film although excessive as Cronenberg's style usually is. If you like good drama ... Read More
- 3 stars out of 4The Bottom Line:
Naomi Watts is annoying bushy-tailed and the central mystery is a bit of an old hat, but Viggo Mortensen is electric, dominating every scene he's in and drawing in the viewers even when the script doesn't match his brilliance--throw in one of the best fight scenes ever staged on film (seriously) and there are plenty of reasons to watch this uneven but entertaining movie.
