Author |
Message |
MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
|
Eastern Promises
Eastern PromisesQuote: Eastern Promises is a 2007 thriller film directed by David Cronenberg, from a screenplay written by Steven Knight. The film tells of a British midwife's interactions with the Russian Mafia in London and stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel. Principal photography began November 2006, in locations in and around London. The film has been noted for its plot twist, the subject of sex trafficking, and for its violence and realistic depiction of Russian career criminals, which includes detailed portrayal of the tattoos commonly worn by them.
Eastern Promises received positive critical reception, appearing on several US critics' "top ten films" lists for 2007. The film has won several awards, including the Audience Prize for best film at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Best Actor award for Mortensen at the British Independent Film Awards. The film received twelve Genie Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations. Mortensen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:53 am |
|
|
MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
|
Re: Eastern Promises
A great companion piece to David Cronenberg's last film A History of Violence, and at least as strong. It's amazing how much the guy matured over the past decade or so, as these two films are flawlessly framed and shot in a manner that wows just as much in it's long, smooth takes and it's deliberate nature. Both films are about gangsters, and both films feature these thugs being killed in some extremely bloody and violent ways. Yet while it's hard to imagine Cronenberg doesn't have fun shooting scenes of people being mutilated in multiple brutal ways - his camera really relishes the "money shots" - both Promises and Violence are about much more than exploiting carnage. Eastern Promises has two things going for it that A History of Violence did not. One is a flawless performance from Viggo Mortensen, and the other is an added sense of complexity. That's not to say that A History of Violence doesn't have many things to say about how hurting and killing is used in our culture and how it never really leaves, just like it's not implying that Eastern Promises is any less efficient or straight forward than it's predecessor. Rather, the story is slightly less linear in that it's not all told from one man's point of view, working as an indictment against the evils of the Russian mafia just as well as a gripping thriller. It's never preachy, or pretensious, and the cast (my favorite other than Viggo was Watt's uncle) impresses across-the-board. Much like A History of Violence, some will complain that the film ends without everything tied up in the satisfactory bow they would like. But I'm grateful for Cronenberg's gangster double features for being the rare films that end without wearing out their welcomes even though they know how damn good they are.
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:09 am |
|
|
zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I'm debating on whether I wanna see this tomorrow afternoon. I hate going to movies alone, but I'm home and I should take advantage of the fact that my small theater actually got it.
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:12 am |
|
|
Diesel
Motherfuckin' sexual
Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 4:38 pm Posts: 1830 Location: Orange County, CA
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I can't wait to see this tomorrow. I'll call my dad up and see if he wants to go.
_________________
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:27 am |
|
|
Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm Posts: 48626 Location: Arlington, VA
|
Re: Eastern Promises
Zingaling wrote: I'm debating on whether I wanna see this tomorrow afternoon. I hate going to movies alone, but I'm home and I should take advantage of the fact that my small theater actually got it. Is there a movie theater near Rutgers?
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:02 am |
|
|
zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
|
Re: Eastern Promises
Libs wrote: Zingaling wrote: I'm debating on whether I wanna see this tomorrow afternoon. I hate going to movies alone, but I'm home and I should take advantage of the fact that my small theater actually got it. Is there a movie theater near Rutgers? Yeah, but I have no time over there.
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:36 am |
|
|
kypade
Kypade
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 7908
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I'm not yet sure whether I absolutely loved it or just thought it was quite good, but in either case, there's at least one scene that's awesomazing and worth the ticket price alone.
|
Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:18 pm |
|
|
makeshift
Teenage Dream
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:20 am Posts: 9247
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I love freakin' David Cronenberg!
He has this wonderfully restrained sense of style. He never calls attention to himself or the camera, but there is simply no denying the meticulous and precise composition of his frame. He shoots mostly from straight ahead, bathing his actors in overhead light. This creates the truly palpable sense of underlying dread that something really bad is going to happen really soon that is found in all of his movies, and generally the promise of violence in a Cronenberg movie is followed through on in unanticipatedly gruesome ways. Eastern Promises is no exception, as it fits perfectly into the narrative mold of buildup-buildup-buildup-cathartic act of violence that Cronenberg has mastered in his late films. This is a patient movie that takes its time getting to where it needs to be, and you are never in doubt that Cronenberg is in complete control, even when the plot twists start coming fast and furious. He even gets to dabble in his body horror and strange/uncomfortable sexuality fetish's this time around, using the tattoos of the Vory V Zakone and a certain character's not-so-closeted homosexuality to fantastically warped effect.
Eastern Promises is a masterpiece, crafted by one of the few truly independent and transgressive filmmakers working today.
|
Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:52 am |
|
|
thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
|
Re: Eastern Promises
An amazing, captivating motion picture that is truly one of the year's very best films. In addition to being impeccably directed by the skilled David Cronenberg, the acting on display is just flawless. Viggo Mortensen delivers a revelatory performance that can only be described as mesmerizing. His layered portrayal is fascinating to watch, and he easily delivers the best performance of his career so far. Naomi Watts is wonderful as one of the film's only sympathetic characters, and is the real heart and soul of the story that is being told. Vincent Cassel also deserves notice, delivering an understated yet equally powerful performance as the misunderstood son of a Russian mob boss. The camerawork is stunning, the musical score is effective and the story is unpredictable and exciting. This is a must-see film and a new personal favorite of mine for sure.
A
|
Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:10 pm |
|
|
Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm Posts: 48626 Location: Arlington, VA
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I actually thought this was slightly better than David Cronenberg's previous picture, A History of Violence. Viggo Mortensen was quite good in that film, but he's outstanding here. His Nikolai is a mysterious, captivating figure who the audience is consistently trying to decipher. Naomi Watts has much less to work with, but gives the kind of solid performance audiences expect from her. Vincent Cassel is credible, while Armin Mueller-Stahl comes across as dynamic and intimidating without going over-the-top. This movie has a fair share of graphic violence (numerous throat slashings, and of course, the now-famous "naked bathhouse duel to the death" sequence), but it doesn't feel gratuitious. Eastern Promises isn't perfect, but it has undeniable power and entertainment value. A few nominations are deserving come Oscar time, notably Viggo. A-
|
Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:59 am |
|
|
Alex Y.
Top Poster
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:47 pm Posts: 5705
|
Re: Eastern Promises
B, a mostly average film that only gains complexity from the last half-hour. It's a film better when remembered in retrospect than during the experience.
|
Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:01 pm |
|
|
Diesel
Motherfuckin' sexual
Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 4:38 pm Posts: 1830 Location: Orange County, CA
|
Re: Eastern Promises
Fantastic movie except for the ending. How can you keep a movie like this open for a sequel? We want to know what happens to Viggo's character, wtf.
The acting was superb and the storyline was mesmerizing. I think the best actor in this movie was Cassel, followed closely by Mortensen. Great movie deserving of any awards it receives.
A-
_________________
|
Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:32 pm |
|
|
Jim Halpert
Stanley Cup
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 1:52 pm Posts: 6981 Location: Hockey Town
|
Re: Eastern Promises
saw it friday and am still thinking about the film. Mortensen and Cassel should get some love from the academy. Final 30 minutes were amazing. The two major plot points about Anna and Nikolai i thought were brushed over too quickly
B+
|
Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:12 pm |
|
|
movies35
Forum General
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:53 pm Posts: 8626 Location: Syracuse, NY
|
Re: Eastern Promises
A wonderful gem of a film. This is definitely a film-goer kind of movie, as most mainstream movie goers will most likely find it boring and tedious. For the people that can appreciate it, it's a real treat. The acting is top notch from everyone, even the littlest supporting characters. The direction is some of the best of the year. The script is phenomenal and has many twists and unexpected turns and the cinematography is fantastic. I hope this isn't forgotten come Oscar time because it really deserves some nominations. Definitely recommended for most people here. 9/10 (A)
_________________ Top 10 Films of 2016
1. La La Land 2. Other People 3. Nocturnal Animals 4. Swiss Army Man 5. Manchester by the Sea 6. The Edge of Seventeen 7. Sing Street 8. Indignation 9. The Lobster 10. Hell or High Water
|
Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:41 pm |
|
|
Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
|
Re: Eastern Promises
Strong performances amidst a sadly unworthy storyline.
Cronenberg, like in his recent History of Violence, once again brings heat to his pitch, only having it fizzle on delivery. It all looks so darn good, it's hard to criticize the hokey finish to this turkey, but there ya have it - - I'm criticizin' this gobbler...
2 out of 5.
|
Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:55 am |
|
|
Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm Posts: 11019
|
Re: Eastern Promises
The way Cronenberg slowly peels the layers away from everybody (well, except Watts) is masterful. The film starts off appearing standard and kinda vague, but by the end, he has methodically carved out all the motives and relationships for us. The structure is fascinating, I think.
_________________ k
Last edited by Johnny Dollar on Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
|
Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:26 pm |
|
|
Jmart
Superman: The Movie
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 8:47 am Posts: 21150 Location: Massachusetts
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I like A History of Violence just a little bit more, but this is a fantastic film. The reveal that begins the final minutes of the film caught me completely off guard and I loved that. If I only have a small problem with the film, it's with Howard Shore's score. It's beautiful and stunning, but if it's possible, it's somehow a little too much of both. Although the scenes where Watts' character is reading from the diary, featuring the music, sound beautiful, it's a little too much and comes off as a little overdramatic. It kind of ruined the tone in some places.
A
_________________My DVD Collection Marty McGee (1989-2005)
If I’m not here, I’m on Letterboxd.
|
Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:57 pm |
|
|
Squee
Squee
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:01 pm Posts: 13270 Location: Yuppieville
|
Re: Eastern Promises
***
Good movie. Yep, that's all I got.
_________________Setting most people on fire is wrong.Proud Founder of the "Community of Squee."
|
Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:41 am |
|
|
Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
|
Re: Eastern Promises
yoshue wrote: The way Cronenberg slowly peels the layers away from everybody (well, except Watts) is masterful. The film starts off appearing standard and kinda vague, but by the end, he has methodically carved out all the motives and relationships for us. The structure is fascinating, I think.
A great film; better, I thought, than A History of Violence. The Mortensen performance really is remarable.
In many ways, it felt like the pilot episode to a really amazing show. But I don't get to come back next week! I was genuinely upset when I realized it had reached the end. Totally agree with this. I'd add that some of the camera shots were utterly superb like the view of Viggo thru the flame in the restaurant or the up close and raw way the fight in the bath house was filmed. To coin a Makeshift phrase this movie was fucking aces.
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
|
Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:12 pm |
|
|
trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I didn't like it quite as much as A History of Violence, but it's certainly right up there with it. The story is rather subtle and implied but its overall impact is undeniable. It's certainly not the typical Hollywood structured narrative. I found Cronenberg's direction to be pretty low-key here, but it allowed the story to take focus without showing off with some fancy camera tricks. Mortenson is quite terrific here, driving the story with his magnetic performance while remaining simultaneously dangerous and mysterious. All of the characters are given satisfactory amounts of depth, and the actors make them all feel genuine. The violence is graphic and shocking, but only because the rest of the film is so quiet and unassuming. The contrast between the action-filled and the actionless bits is what makes the brutality all the more shocking. It's not perfect, though; I would have liked a stronger plot, though, and there are some moments that reek of cliché, but, overall, the film is masterful.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
|
Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:40 pm |
|
|
zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
|
Re: Eastern Promises
Exxxxcellent. Better than A History of Violence, I thought. Viggo Mortenson's performance is, without a doubt, the best I've seen this year.
It's a quiet film, but intense.
A-
|
Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:39 am |
|
|
Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
|
Re: Eastern Promises
I just can't wait to see this in a week!
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
|
Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:08 pm |
|
|
Shack
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am Posts: 37977
|
Re: Eastern Promises
It's very well shot with outstanding work by Viggo, but ultimately I was left cold. I was never really engaged in the storyline or characters and wasn't that disappointed when it abrubtly ended.
It has probably the best fight scene of the year though.
2.5/5
_________________Shack’s top 50 tv shows - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90227
|
Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:45 pm |
|
|
Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
|
B/B+
Color me disappointed. A little. I suppose I just had too many expectations and anticipation for it, especially since I loved A History of Violence, but this film failed to live up to them. I certainly liked AHOV a whole lot more. I suppose I wasa expecting a twisted Russian mafia epic from Cronenberg, but the film was a much smaller affair.
Most of it was good. Viggo Mortensen was solid, though not as extraordinarily amazing as most are saying. Not sure why he's receiving so many accolades. Vincent Cassel is at least equally good, playing the more-than-subtle homosexual son of the gay-hating mafia boss. Armin Mueller Stahl's performance is effective as well, even though rather typical. I've also seen Naomi Watts doing better acting jobs in the past. This is mostly Viggo's show at the end.
There is few about the film that I can really call flaws. It's just that the whole thing wasn't as amazing as it could have been and didn't stun or emotionally resonate with me in any way. The ending went way too easy for my taste with Semyon apparently being convicted. I don't think it'd be as easy as that to get a boss of a Russian mafia syndicate arrested and imprisoned. Also retrieving the baby was quize easy too. Furthermore, unlike A History of Violence, I didn't like the very open ending here. I thought it was perfect for AHOV, buthere I really wanted to see morer and felt cheated in a way.
All this negativity aside, however, it was a well-directed film, with solid performances all around and an interesting story to boot. The twist with Mortensen's Nikolai towards the end is great and unexpected. The naked bathhouse is pretty great and very visceral and brutal, thorwing away all asthetics and going for a raw realism. Good film, just not a masterpiece.
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
|
Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:20 pm |
|
|
Mr. Inc
Veteran
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:50 am Posts: 3350
|
Re: Eastern Promises
A-. Surprised by how good this was. It could have been a bit longer, while I did not mind the short running time, a lot of the plot points needed a bit more story. The ending is fantastic.
|
Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:01 pm |
|
|