Eastern Promises-Micro Review

  "You play with a Prince to do business with the King" 

Directed by: David Cronenberg
Released: 2007
Staring: Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Armin Mueller-Stahl, & Vincent Cassel
Rated: R
Times Viewed: 3

  It's David Cronenberg's birthday today and coincidentally I watched his film "Eastern Promises" last weekend. A film many say was in contention with Scorsese's "The Departed" for best mobster film of the past decade. Both released within a year of each other, Eastern Promises was produced on a much smaller scale but packs just as hard a punch.

  Where The Departed is a loud and brash game of cat and mouse, Eastern Promises has a quiet kind of suspense about it. Not to say this movie doesn't have it's fair share of violence because let's face it, it's Cronenberg. The man's middle name IS violence. *cough* History of Violence *cough* The trailer is a bit misleading from the actual plot of the film but the basic story is communicated quite well.
     
       p.s. I love The Departed just was much as Eastern Promises. I am not bashing it in anyway...just comparing the two.

 Viggo Mortensen is a knock out and I'm not just saying that because he has a nude fight scene in a bath house...but come on, that was pretty bad ass. There is a bit of a surprise tacked on to Mortensen's character at the end that really defines his actions and elevates the story to a whole new level. His Oscar nod was well deserved and I really wish he would take on more parts...more parts like this one. Check out his flawless performance in this scene with Armin Mueller-Stahl, another silent, yet hurricane like force that drives the film.

  If you like mafia flicks, great acting, and a touch of violence, I highly suggest you watch Eastern Promises. It's a film that takes you out of the hunt and inside the mob, the family, and the consequences. Beautifully directed by David Cornenberg who today turns 70.

David Cornenberg on the set of "Eastern Promises"