Eastern Promises (DVD, 2007, Full Frame)

Deservedly praised for their work on the Masterful 'A History of Violence' (2005), David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen reunite to a bit lesser, yet very satisfying, effect with 'Eastern Promises'; a dramatic thriller written by Steve Knight (Oscar-Nominee 'Dirty Pretty Things').
Punctuated by 'Graphic Sequences' of convulsive violence and laced with macabre humor — (two of Cronenberg's signature motifs) — this riveting and atmospheric film carries you through to an end on such a bewilderingly abrupt note; you may wonder if there's a missing reel.
Set primarily in London's Russian Community, 'Eastern Promises' stars Naomi Watts as Anna Khritrova, a midwife born to a Russian father and English mother (Sinead Cusack). Saddened by the death of a Russian teenager in childbirth, Anna resolves to find the baby's relatives. However, the only substantive information Anna can find about the dead girl is in her personal diary, written in Russian (a language Anna's never learned).
Ignoring the advice of her ill-tempered Russian Uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) to turn the diary over to the police, Anna finds a translator in Seymon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), the cultured Old World Owner of the Trans-Siberian Restaurant. What Anna doesn't know is that Seymon is actually a ruthless member of the feared Vory V Zakone Criminal Brotherhood — and that he and his volatile son Kirill (Vincent Cassell) have a sordid history with the dead girl that must remain secret.
To that end, they rely on trusted driver Nikolai Luzhin (Mortensen), whose cryptic, soft-spoken demeanor betrays nothing, making him all the more formidable of Enforcers. Yet for reasons introduced later, Nikolai seems to want to help Anna — even as he rises in the Vory V Zakone.
Evocatively shot by Cronenberg's longtime cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, 'Eastern Promises' provides a viscerally disturbing glimpse of the Eastern European "people traffic" conducted by the Vory Z Zakone (a real-life criminal syndicate) and others. There are scenes here as nerve-fraying as anything as Cronenberg's ever done; a fight scene in a public bath is almost unbearably intense; and the insidious dread of the film persists throughout.
The police are shown briefly, investigating the related-murder of a Chechen Gangster, but then disappear until Cronenberg and Knight bring them back for a late-breaking plot twist that's revealing and creatively developed.
Although 'Eastern Promises' doesn't quite live up to the masterpiece that set their bar with 'A History of Violence'; it's assuredly not a letdown. And Mortensen has never been better. Playing the enigmatic Nikolai, his sinewy physique covered in tattoos, he's a mesmerizing presence, both lethal and morally conflicted. "He" fulfills the promise of 'A History of Violence'.
Good Film, with an atmospheric and fulfilling portrait of another family of Mafia; leaving behind the stereotypes and overly-cinematized Italian Mob.
Applauds Nonetheless....Doesn't Dissapoint !!

I am a Viggo Morrison fan and I believe he did a great job acting in the movie. This movie had you guessing every step of the way. It starts out hard to understand but basically throws a few twists during the course of the movie.

The ending is also something I did not see coming. This movie also gives an excellent viewpoint on how the Russian mob works. I love mob movies and I thought this movie was worth renting or even owning.

Highly recommended movie with a great plot!

I bought this because I had seen it before at my Nieces....And I wanted a copy for myself......It's a good movie...I like Viggo Morrison and he was excellent in this movie....

What a gripping movie. I didn't even hear about it until the Oscar nomination for Viggo. It was well written and presented. The acting was superb.

Fast shipping. Great product. Fun DVD. Good story. Overall enjoyed it. If you enjoy movies that have lots of twists, Naomi Watts (very hot) and Viggo and his wild tattoos, I would say deff buy this DVD.

was disappointed with movie. thought there would be more action than there was.
this was more of a just for tv movie than a real action movie.