Review of Eastern Promises (2007) by Richard B — 19 Feb 2018

Another movie where the majority of critics and the audience portray terrible judgement. Both Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts fall very far short of their best in this rather tedious and brutal film with almost nothing to recommend it.

I couldn't suspend disbelief with the characters or the story, a mix of cliches and strained credibility. Oddly, Mortensen seems to have received Best Actor nominations for his performance here, which tells me more about the questionable standards of those who make such nominations though he's at least serious about his character in this.

The direction is probably the worst aspect of the movie. It veers from routine to jarring, almost amateurish at times. Whether the script called for it or not, the opening scenes are gruesome and disjointed for no good reason.

Other scenes struck me as contrived or stylized in the way they were staged.