Eastern Promises

Coming on the heels of 2005’s A History of Violence, Eastern Promises certainly feels like an apt follow-up for director David Cronenberg – as the film possesses a number of similarities to its predecessor, including an expectedly deliberate pace, shocking bursts of violence, and an absolutely compelling turn from star Viggo Mortensen. This time around, Mortensen steps into the shoes of a Russian mobster who must placate his sinister boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl’s Semyon) while ensuring the safety of a well-meaning midwife (Naomi Watts’ Anna). Cronenberg is certainly well within his element here, and the director does a nice job of keeping things interesting even through some of the more repetitive moments within Steven Knight’s screenplay. Though infused with a number of thriller-like elements, Eastern Promises is ultimately a character study revolving around Mortensen’s Nikolai Luzhin – which, thanks primarily to Mortensen’s astounding work, ensures that the whole thing is always quite interesting (if not quite consistently compelling). Of course, this being a Cronenberg film, Eastern Promises‘ most engaging moment arrives in the form of an extremely brutal fight scene that’s sure to leave most viewers reeling. It’s an intense, unapologetically violent sequence that proves to be the film’s highlight, and there’s ultimately no denying that Cronenberg’s career has been on quite the upswing as of late (and just in the nick of time, too; remember eXistenZ?)

*** out of ****