Eastern Promises

[Fairweather Pure]

I was finally able to watch this dvd last night after the Oscars.

The movie is summed up as such:

A 14 yr old girl has a baby and dies in the hospital. She was russian, her nurse is half russian and takes a diary the girl was carrying. As the diary is translated throughout the film, you find out more and more horrible things about the russian mafia boss in town and how they run things. Viggo is a mob enforcer, new on the local scene. He kinda has a thing for the nurse and realizes the true evil he is involved in after reading the diary and has some internal struggles. The local mafioso wants the baby killed and that sets the stage for some decent moral issues amoung various characters. There's also some plot twists and such, but you get the gist of it.

Overall, it was a tad too long IMO. Also, I found the relationship between Viggo and Naomi Watts's characters a little unrealistic. She's a half russian nurse and he's lifelong deep in the russian mafia. He also looks about 20 years older than her. Still, the movie held my attention for the full run and it had moments of sheer greatness. The culmunation of which, is the much talked about nude bathouse fight with Viggo and some thugs. That was one of the most intense fights I have ever seen on film. The ending was meh, and reminded me of the same feeling I was left with after watching A History of Violence (also starring Viggo and directed by Cronenberg). Both movies just kind of ended with no indication of what truely happens after the characters overcome the various obstacles they have been at odds with throughout the films.

Still, Viggo definately earned his Oscar nomination in this movie. I'd swear he was russian. He was pretty awesome. He maintains this weird aura around him the entire film. He exudes power and menace even when he's standing outside with sunglasses on in broad daylight.

I give this movie and 8/10. I'm glad I bought it. I look forward to a second viewing after I finish the current stockpile of movies I need to catch up on.

[Leonaerd]

It was a good movie that could have used an escape from its narrow scope to make it great.

[Siji]

Add another half hour or rearrange somehow to give the story some completion and it would be much better. Viggo did very well however. Don't see wanting to watch it again, but once was good.

[Syenye]

the last movie i saw in a theater and liked. i have a crush on naomi watts, but i would have enjoyed it even if i didn't.

[Hesten]

Yeah, i just saw it last night, great movie. Pretty convincing acting, especially the accents on Viggo and Vincent are great, and the bathhouse scene are just brutal. Must be VERY hard for an actor to do a fight scene naked (and yes girls, you do get to look all you like at Viggos private parts) and still be convincing.
True, the ending wasnt great but was ok.

And something i thought about after the movie was over. It is the FIRST gangster movie i have seen where not a single shot are fired. Refreshing to see you can actually make a good and still violent gangster movie without guns blazing all the time.

I just saw a rip, but its a must have on DVD, but i didnt have subs, so just one question. Were all the russian speak translated? I had no subs, so kinda lost on the actual meaning when they were talking russian, but it didnt really matter much, you got the impression VERY clearly anyway, the only time i wished for translation was Viggos brief chat with the russian girl.

[Fairweather Pure]

the only time i wished for translation was Viggos brief chat with the russian girl.

Yes, it was translated. If you are referring to the prostitute, he said something like "Take this (money) and live a few days longer". He was trying to give her hope to hang on because he knows something he cannot share.