Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)
by David Cronenberg
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DVD details
Actor: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Naomi Watts, Sin?ad Cusack, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent CasselDirector: David Cronenberg
Brand: Universal
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-23
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: What an intense movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
What an intense movie. The best fight scene I've ever seen. Naked with knives spells hurt. Very painful to watch. Viggo Mortensen did a great job - a departure from his other movies.
DVD Review: "Forget any of this happened. Stay away from people like me."
Summary: 5 Stars
It's now 2009, and you would think that we would learn from our mistakes when it comes to bad movies . . . uh-huh. These past years, we've been tortured by three family-friendly High School Musical films, poor comedies like The Love Guru, teenage garbage such as 13 Going on 30, sappy fantasies like Eragon, etc. But hey, at least many of the action films were good to watch. Even though I'm in my early 20's, I'm a bit saddened that today's generation has ignored many classic films such as The Godfather and 2001: A Space Odyssey. And come on, The Dark Knight is a great movie and all, but it shouldn't be the ONLY film to watch in your lifetime! However, there is still hope. We have seen excellent movies from 2000 to present. No Country for Old Men, Donnie Darko, Hot Fuzz and Letters from Iwo Jima are just a few. One of them I particularly enjoyed watching straight through is Eastern Promises. It's not only one of the few films in this generation that's strictly for ADULTS, but it's also one of the two darkest and most violent thrillers of 2007 (right next to No Country For Old Men).
This film starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts is a relief from all the politically correct films we've seen for some time. There are some downright disturbing stuff going on. Anna Khitrova (Watts), who works at a hospital, has been informed that a fourteen-year old girl has just died of childbirth. She finds the girl's diary and discovers the painful truth: the girl named Tatiana was part of a notorious Russian prostitution ring, and that the ones who are partly responsible are right here in London. Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, and Armin Mueller-Stahl play the "thieves in law" who try to make sure that the truth is never revealed to the authorities.
And it's not only the plot that's disturbing. There are scenes in which blood and gore takes center stage (the infamous bathhouse scene, for example). And there are plenty of major plot twists (if you want to know what they are, then watch the film). Mortensen was perfectly cast as Nikolai. He avoids the "Lord of the Rings" typecasting and goes on to act with a very good Russian accent. Watts gives a lovely performance as Anna; I could see no one else playing the part. Cassel as Kiril looks to be someone you would love to hate at first, but when the film nears its end, you can't really tell if you really do. Mueller-Stahl as Semyon is definitely the one we would love to hate, and he does a hell of a job at that. The supporting cast have it down good, also, so no complaints here.
The reason I watched Eastern Promises was because I have a deep interest in Russian history, culture, and mythology. This clearly exceeded my expectations. It's one of the best films of 2007. It's too bad, though, that some people of this generation won't be very pleased when they get a chance to see this, because it's so dark and disturbing. Well, it's safe to say that I admire the film, and I hope there will be another film this year that will be as stupendous as this one.
Grade: A+
DVD Review: Great movie.....
Summary: 5 Stars
Much better than Cronenberg's previous movie "History of Violence"...Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.DVD Review: The illustrated Man
Summary: 5 Stars
Tattoos can tell stories. This is a small film with big ideas and is remarkably well acted. The story concerns a young pregnant girl who dies but the baby survives. A hospital worker discovers a Russian diary on the dead girl and uncovers a sinister Russian prostitution ring and befriends a Russian mobster who may or may not be able to help her. It is very dark material at times but turns out to be a surprisingly excellent film although excessive as Cronenberg's style usually is. If you like good drama and can tolerate the extreme violence then Eastern Promises just might be one of those films that actually tries to compete with what Coppola and Scorsese have put out there and does a remarkably good job of it.DVD Review: 3 stars out of 4
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bottom Line:
Naomi Watts is annoying bushy-tailed and the central mystery is a bit of an old hat, but Viggo Mortensen is electric, dominating every scene he's in and drawing in the viewers even when the script doesn't match his brilliance--throw in one of the best fight scenes ever staged on film (seriously) and there are plenty of reasons to watch this uneven but entertaining movie.
Description of Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)
Viggo Mortensen and Academy Award? nominee Naomi Watts star in this electrifying thriller from critically acclaimed director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence). Criminal mastermind Nikolai (Mortensen) finds his ties to a notorious crime family shaken when he crosses paths with Anna (Watts), a midwife who has accidentally uncovered evidence against them. Their unusual relationship sets off an unstoppable chain of murder, mystery and deception in the explosive film critics are calling "provocative and engrossing" (Claudia Puig, USA Today).David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in Eastern Promises, a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmastime in London, a baby is born to a teenage junkie--an event that leads a midwife (Naomi Watts) into the world of the Russian mob. Central to this world is an ambitious enforcer (Viggo Mortensen) who's lately buddied up with the reckless son (Vincent Cassel) of a mob boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl, doing his benign-sinister thing). Screenwriter Steve Knight also wrote Dirty Pretty Things, and in some ways this is a companion piece to that film, though utterly different in style. The plot is classical to the point of being familiar, but Cronenberg doesn't allow anything to become sentimental; he and his peerless cinematographer Peter Suschitzky take a cool, controlled approach to this story. Because of that, when the movie erupts in its (relatively brief) violence, it's genuinely shocking. Cronenberg really puts the viewer through it, as though to shame the easy purveyors of pulp violence--nobody will cheer when the blood runs in this film. Still, Eastern Promises has a furtive humor, nicely conveyed in Viggo Mortensen's highly original performance. Covered in tattoos, his body a scroll depicting his personal history of violence, Mortensen conveys a subtle blend of resolve and lost-ness. He's a true, haunting mystery man. --Robert Horton
Stills from Eastern Promises (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.
 Vincent Cassel (left) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release.
|  Armin Mueller-Stahl (center) stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |  Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
 Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |  Naomi Watts stars in David Cronenberg's new thriller EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |  Armin Mueller-Stahl (left) and Naomi Watt (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
 Mina E. Mina (left), Vincent Cassel (center) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |  Vincent Cassel stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |  Viggo Mortensen stars in David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, a Focus Features release. |
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