Eastern Promises
Composite Score: 82.33
Starring: Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Josef Altin, Mina E. Mina, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, Sinead Cusack, Jerzy Skolimowski, Tatiana Maslany, and Vincent Cassel
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: Steven Knight
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for strong, brutal, and bloody violence, some graphic sexuality, language, and nudity
Box Office: $56.11 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Eastern Promises is David Cronenberg’s film about Russian organized crime at work in London. It features Naomi Watts as its leading lady, Anna, a nurse working to find the family of an orphaned baby whom she delivered from a dying teen mother on a shift at the hospital. Along the way, she becomes embroiled in the dark underworld of the Vory v Zakone (Russian mobsters), in particular, the head of the family, Semyon, his son, Kirill, and his driver, Nikolai. The film’s supporting cast includes Sinead Cusack as Anna’s mother, Armin Mueller-Stahl as Semyon, Tatiana Maslany as the voice of the deceased Tatiana, Vincent Cassel as Kirill, and Viggo Mortensen delivering a powerhouse performance as Nikolai. The film has been celebrated for its authenticity, strong acting, and compelling thriller narrative. It is well worth watching.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The film’s authenticity also lends itself to being a difficult watch. The subject matter of the film can be quite intense for some viewers and should not be approached lightly. Topics that the film engages with include organized crime, the KGB, rape, teen pregnancy, orphanhood, foster care, miscarriages, racism, immigration, homophobia, murder, and infanticide. Though the film handles each of these topics with considerable care and almost goes out of its way to avoid depicting many of these painful realities on-screen, the subjects are still there and could be quite difficult for some viewers to partake of.
In a similar, if contrary, vein, fans of Cronenberg’s other works might be surprised by the relative tameness of this film in comparison to some of his others. There is a marked lack of major body horror or torture sequences, with the film instead focusing on the psychological trauma that the threat of physical violence can enact upon people. For me, this was in no way disappointing, merely surprising considering the director’s usual proclivities.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Eastern Promises delivers one of the most authentic portrayals of Russian mob activity that has ever been brought to the screen in fiction form. The entire cast, and Mortensen in particular, received recognition and accolades for being non-Russian actors playing Russians accurately. The proclivity for the use of knives over guns, the unique tattoos, and even the inter- and intra-family politics all seem to be incredibly well-researched and well-portrayed on the screen. Fans of crime thrillers who have not seen this film need to add it to their watchlists immediately.
The other major commendation for Eastern Promises comes in the form of its leading performances. Naomi Watts serves as an excellent lead, performing as both a fully capable, independent woman and as someone who is relatively innocent of the ways of the world into which she is thrust. Her skepticism and caution and passion mirrors the feelings of the audience as the film’s story unfolds, in a way that is perfect for the lead. While the other supporting performances help form the world of the film, none of them stand out quite so much as Viggo Mortensen’s Nikolai, the driver for Semyon and his son who has his sights set on higher office within the organization. Mortensen brings a combination of menace and tenderness that somehow makes sense for a mob enforcer, endearing himself to some characters and the audience while keeping everyone involved apprised of his own capabilities. He received the film’s lone Oscar nomination – for Best Actor in a Leading Role – as his duality launched him into the ranks of iconic villains/antiheroes of the 2000s.
Strong leading performances go hand in hand with an authentic and compelling mob narrative in Eastern Promises to make it one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Though its intensity might be too much for some and not enough for others, the film stands out as one of the most original and compelling crime thrillers ever made. It is available to stream via rental on most streaming services, and I highly recommend you go watch it if it sounds like something that is up your alley.
