Review of Eastern Promises (2007) by Peter C — 17 Aug 2012

I really enjoy this movie. It's dark and severious. It's grimy and a lot is happening, but it always feels really contained, and focused, and sharp. And intense. Particularly Cronenberg's continued exploration of the horror of violence. There are only a small number of violent moments but most are cant-stop-thinking-about-it stomach turners that will be what you remember about it a year after watching it.

I like the story. It's a complicated plot about simple things in people. The script is pretty good. Sometimes there's too much hand-holding narration, other times there's refreshingly little. I like its sentiment, and that it doesn't hide from including light amongst the dark darkness. I'm tired of crime films whose 'epic' aspirations restrict them to canned fatalistic tones so as to keep their hardcore gangster legitimacy. That type thing has been played out and can only disappoint these days. Thankfully Cronenberg embraces a more varied palette of tones.

Viggo is the most enjoyable thing about it. He hams a few lines, but is predominantly great. His character is really textured yet still feels mysterious. You're curious what he's going to do next. Also, there's Viggo just having that quality. Even as a cold bastard he still has something sincere and disarming about him that makes him lovable.

Naomi Watts does her part. She can be a bit melodramatic, but she delivers most of it pretty well.

A few scenes, including a prolonged graphic sex scene, ding the films integrity a bit and would have been better omitted. There are classier ways to illustrate depravity. The strengths of the rest of the movie though, make these few moments forgivable.

I definitely look forward to the sequel. Though hope it expands past and away from Watts' character, who could only continue to be involved in Viggo's world through some contrived and probably lame story direction.