Eastern Promises is one of the few new films to bring out emotional response

November 7, 11:03 PMSan Jose Movie ExaminerDanny Derakhshan

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Eastern Promises movie poster.
Focus Features

One of the most amazing directors of our time is David Cronenberg. If you don't know anything that he has done go watch Videodrome, or Scanners, maybe A History of Violence for something newer. If you like movies that are warped, ExistenZ is a good choice. His films are generally explicit in the showing of the violence.

Set in London's seedy underworld this crime drama is about a notorious Russian gangster Nikolai Luzhin. Luzhin finds his normally calm demeanor changing when he finds out that a midwife named Anna has discovered incriminating evidence against his fellow gang members in a diary of a raped dead teenage woman.

The story is set on characters more than plot. Anna fears for her life for the bulk portion of the film which gives her very little room for depth, but she is not the reason to see Eastern Promises. Viggo Mortensen as Nikolai is the only reason to watch for. His reasoning and reactions to everything is handled with care and perfection. Semyon is likable but still feared. These characters are true to their showmanship in the realistic sense of conflict shown by simple observations of wanting to do right yet having to do what must be done for the family. In fact, one of the lines given is about how important family is to the gangsters.

The film is set in London, with morning fog transparent, though it might be a cinematography choice. The film is crisp, with many well done shots and many well thought out camera movements to go along with the breathing colors shown.

Overall, top form in story and filmmaking. Five out of five stars; see this film as soon as possible.