Poor Naomi Watts. As if it weren't stressful enough being tormented by a creepy ghost from a videotape, she's now being hunted by the mob. (And we thought we had it rough being chased by the Boston College Police.)
Eastern Promises tells the tale of a midwife, Anna (Watts), who stumbles upon a diary that may contain secrets pertaining to an Eastern mob family. Unfortunately for her, the teenage owner of the diary died during childbirth and decided to write the contents in Russian. When the mob catches wind that she possesses a cornucopia of incriminating evidence, they send out Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) to deal with the issue. Nikolai, who looks like a cross between Vanilla Ice and Drago from Rocky IV, soon finds his loyalties divided between the mob and Anna, with whom he begins to empathize.
David Cronenberg has never been one to adhere to standard film conventions. His 2005 thriller A History of Violence shocked audiences with its casual portrayal of graphic violence in small-town America, while his older sci-fi films, like Scanners and Videodrome, confused and revolted viewers who were not prepared for such a visual onslaught. What makes Cronenberg so great is his fearlessly experimental passion to take everyday society and turn it inside out with warped plot twists and elements of fantasy and horror.
Now, Eastern Promises will not appeal to all audiences. Its reportedly brutal tone and harsh imagery will require patience and an open mind. That being said, you should go see this movie if you are even remotely curious. If you don't like it, there will still be time to see popcorn flicks like Dragon Wars or Good Luck Chuck next week.
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