Eastern Promises

UK / Canada / USA 2007, 100 minutes
Dir. David Cronenberg
In English, Russian
Rating: [R18]
Genres: Suspense/Crime, Action/Adventure / Gangsters

Feat. Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Jerzy Skolimowski

Aroview: A muscular, satisfying thriller set in the underworld of the Russian mafia in London, this reteams the director and star of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, with the mystique of Viggo Mortensen brilliantly suited to his role as a henchman with a moral conscience.

After acquiring an incriminating diary, midwife Naomi Watts becomes dangerously entangled in exotic mob affairs involving a powerful patriarch, his ruthless son, and an enigmatic driver. Rituals of an intriguing secret sub-culture are grafted onto more familiar elements from the mob genre, with dir. Cronenberg letting the screenplay and the actors do most of the work until his bravura climactic set-piece in a men's Turkish bathhouse.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-4 of 4 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) Cronenberg directs a solid and menacing suspense story of Eastern gangsters and mob secrets. Watts is not particularly convincing, but Viggo is positively outstanding. ~Tom H
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4 stars (Very Good) ~normfilmbuff
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5 stars (Exceptional) A simple but well made and rewarding film with a great supporting cast and an exceptional, Oscar-worthy turn from Mortensen. Easily the best gangster film of the last decade. ~Wizzums
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3 stars (Good Enough) Viggo struggles a bit in this one, Vincent does a reasonable job as an arse hole but the acting honours go to Armin Mueller-Stahl. He is very convincing in his role. The other winner is the choice of some seedy locations. ~Tubbs