Anyone see it yet? Thoughts? I heard Vigo's performace was real solid.

Is it also true that the film is only being released in select, limited theaters?

My second favorite film I seen this year...right behind the "King of Kongs" flick.

Don't go in thinking it will be a Cronenberg gore-fest...cuz it is far from it....it is more of a emotional and quiet gangster film. It is fresh seeing the Russian mob and its traditions being shown. It is like a very condensed version of "The Godfather". I would also compare it to "State of Grace" of even "Sugar Hill"...no flashiness, just a good story and solid acting. The russian mob boss and father deserves an oscar nomination.

............

to Richard Widmark. It never hit me until this film.

I enjoyed it although there were too many conveniences for the sake of plot and the third act is a mess

but up until that point it's fucking fun and Mortensen shows once again why he is one of the best doing it these days. Vincent Cassel shows he's still french anyway you cut it and Armin Muehler-Stahl is fantastic. Naomi Watts is good, if serviceable.

This and 3:10 to Yuma work well as fun nights at the movies solid genre fare. And considering how long we've gone w/o consistently good genre movies it is a nice relief

stop reading







stop reading



you will be sorry







it's your own damn fault.


















okay.

So why did Kiril's dad want him dead?

one
k. orr

Because they were after his son (Cassel), but the rival gang did not know what his son looked like....so he set up Viggo's character so they would think that they were killing mob bosses son. Hope I explained that alright.

But basically the fact that he was more than willing to sacrifice him is the part I don't get.

a made man.
He recognized his skills.

He was ambivalent about his "gay" son.
Son started off this war for nothing.
Son stay fucking up.

IE, Viggo had rising stock, and the Son had a falling stock.

But no scene with Pops either
- agonizing over the decision
or
- being totally cold about it.

It's understandable, but not clear and convincing.

And it wasn't clear if Viggo was a plant, informant, or one of them cats that went in positive and got turned out by the power - or he was a duplicitous character...

one
k. orr

He made Viggo to have Viggo killed.

Remember, how does the bald-headed barber guy tell the two brothers to recognize Viggo? The stars on his chest. Viggo doesn't have those until he gets "made." So, it was all an elaborate set-up but a set-up nonetheless.

anything about viggo gaining the respect of the old guy was just an elaborate set-up.

everyone's talking about.

yeah i can't wait either. nohomeowner.

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Cronenberg said about it (his point; rationale). Your description is true, though, but funny.

really

That was classic...

all the critical attention the scene is receiving is ridiculous and is going to get a whole lot of people's hopes up to astronomical levels for no reason. in fact, if mortensen wasn't naked the scene wouldn't even an after thought

a lot of people are just happy to see cock in a movie

The reason why I'm looking forward to that scene is Cronenberg's comments about him wanting to show how difficult it is to kill. Given his track record, I assumed this would be something that stands out. Not really, then?

But, yea, I agree w/ you about that scene building up some preconception in viewers' minds about the flick. The reviews that don't focus on the bathhouse scene, to me, capsulize a great movie overall.

i actually think the desh/bourne fight (what little of it we could actually see) captured what cronenberg was trying to do better (even though the fatal choke out was typically hollywood short)

the cronenberg loses the gravity of it and ultimately by the end of the scene the audience was laughing because the violence had reached almost comical proportions.

there are some amazing elements to the movie but ultimately it is hamstrung by the script and limited by the scope of its story. it actually would work as an epic story of the power struggle w/i this family/criminal organization than as a thriller that divebombs into silliness in the final act.

it, imo, shows how difficult it is to kill someone and the pure intensity of it all.

didnt see like the first 15 minuts are we supposed to know viggo is a cop or not????

Not until the end.

involving one of the prostitutes and the cops

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it's a
got
damn
arms
race

kind of anti-climactic, yet I can't get it out of my head. quietly brutal, and flat out haunting at times. Mortensen and Cassell, it's already been said in here brought heat. Naomi wasn't amazing or anything but solid nonetheless... and I still want her to have my babies.

and as an organized crime junkie, it was great to get *some* insight into the world of the russian mob.

Now I want to re-visit History of Violence. Cronenberg is probably the most interesting director working today. Don't ask me to back up that statement... it's just how i feel lol.

>and as an organized crime junkie, it was great to get *some*
>insight into the world of the russian mob.

Have you seen Brother (Balabanov)? I thought it was pretty good, but better in retrospect now that Cronenberg said it was one of the things he watched in preparation for Eastern Promises, and said this about it:

"A Russian neo-noir (1997) about a young soldier who becomes a hit-man for a criminal gang. Classical in style, ultra-realistic and unsentimental. Reputedly held in high esteem by Russian criminals for its rare accuracy."

i'm gonna check it this week.

the note the cops pulled out of the dead guy's coat... was that Nikolai's way of contacting the detective? otherwise, I didn't get its purpose.

i think that's what the detective meant when he visited nikolai in the hospital and said something about nikolai using dead bodies to send memos.

....just lurking....

I'm surprised by the responses. I thought it was meh.
I felt like I walked in an hr too late or an hr too early. It just ended suddenly.
A lot of folks at the credits, probably following my lead, raised their arms to the screen and said "WTF?"
Felt too much like the History of Violence.

Naomi added nothing to the role. V was good though.

and i expect plenty of "Eastern Promises was the biggest piece of shit ever" posts in the upcoming week/months, when it drops on dvd, then six months after that when it airs on cable.

still.. i loved it.

>and i expect plenty of "Eastern Promises was the biggest
>piece of shit ever" posts in the upcoming week/months, when it
>drops on dvd, then six months after that when it airs on
>cable.
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This ain't a scene
it's a
got
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arms
race

>I felt like I walked in an hr too late or an hr too early. It
>just ended suddenly.

Not sure how Cronenberg gets down with that respect, but I could see a pretty interesting trilogy coming out of this story. That hope was the only thing that kept me from throwing my Milk Duds at the screen when it ended.

i could definitely see this a trilogy and a very good one at that. I doubt it will happen though.

this movie will definitely go up in ratings for me

from a 7 to an 8.5.


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I'm focused maaaaaaann

hadn't read any pre-spoilers or reviews,
so i took it for what it was: a mob movie
with redemption themes. acted well, shot
well, solid cronenberg movie.

http://www.amazon.com/Cronenbergs-Preparation-Directing-Eastern-Promises/lm/R24RKEA5ZPU40J/ref=cm_lmt_dtpa_f_2_rdssss1/002-4748890-2273658?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=listmania-center&pf_rd_r=0A9F97FHM9ENGHV4AFPE&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=253462201&pf_rd_i=0955006120

Viggo was sexy as hell. Some of the acting was over the top but overall I liked it.

i give it an B+

I thought it was decent. I liked the action, but I felt a little cheated. I really wanted to see his character have a resolution. There is definitely material for a sequel, but they probably won't do that.

1. i didn't think he needed to be undercover. the fact that they tried to kill him in place of their son was enough motive to takeover. i preferred thinking that he was just a gangster who didn't see everything so cut and dry, black and white.

2. how many times are we gonna see a crime family ruined by some idiot son who can't get his shit together?

3. i dislike the white heroine. why does it have to be a white woman who gets too involved and still emerges unscathed? she should've known her place, esp. w/ her uncle warning her. instead, just like a white woman (see: peace corps, missionaries, etc.) she has to immerse herself.

4. i didn't care for the russian stereotypes. is this all we can imagine about russia--underage prostitutes and provincial banquets, side by side?

i suppose these all go without saying, but i'm saying them anyways. besides them, i enjoyed the film. both incredibly gory yet slow and methodical. i also liked that it didn't try to be too clever. the story was pretty straightforward, but it was a good story.

lost momentum a touch in the second act.

mortensen was good.

i liked the twists although normally i would have seen that coming.

thought the sets were great.

twas a nice little gangster flick.

i wanted more character development in the case of watts characters parents. just a line or two that made them who they are.

grade: B

>1. i didn't think he needed to be undercover. the fact that
>they tried to kill him in place of their son was enough motive
>to takeover. i preferred thinking that he was just a gangster
>who didn't see everything so cut and dry, black and white.

I found his character more interesting before i knew he was undercover

>1. i didn't think he needed to be undercover. the fact that
>they tried to kill him in place of their son was enough motive
>to takeover.

I see what you're saying, but the reason why Nikolai is even there in the first place is b/c he's a cop. The dynamic of the movie would be different if it were more of a power-lust/revenge or "righteous" gangster flick (which I'd like, too).

>i preferred thinking that he was just a gangster
>who didn't see everything so cut and dry, black and white.

The cop angle is more interesting I think b/c does the end justify the means? He had to have sex w/ the prostitute. Who knows how many more men he killed or will kill just to keep the charade up until he brings down the mob. Nikolai's superior was already telling him that he's been doing stuff that went beyond his call of duty and they were ready to pull the plug on the operation.

I think the cop angle appears to conventionalize the movie, but not anymore than it being a gangster on the rise pic.

>2. how many times are we gonna see a crime family ruined by
>some idiot son who can't get his shit together?

I think the pops' bad was bigger than the son's. The former had evidence to bring the family down by bringing the topdog down.

and the naked knife fight was brutal.

Wait, has it been 6 months yet?

No?

Then

Eastern Promises is still awesome!
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Magnificent Trident

I enjoyed it and I'm gettin used to these abrupt endings and starting to enjoy them for what discussions can come from them. Wrappin shit up with a bow is nice and all but really feels rushed most of the time, especially when a movie ends with script tellin u the outcome.

REALLY makes it hard for me to watch this guy in any movie.

acting is different from real life. i am sure in real life he's a sweetiepie

Like, his accent changed each scene or something. I don't know what's funnier him in Eastern Promises or Edward Norton in The Painted Veil.

At least give me CGI monster gorillas and dinosaurs if you're going to do that to me.

lol

I think it was an unbroken shot (the pan down from her face to her nips). Not unless there was a post-production cheat.

I've tried many times.


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Were they ever in the same shot in HOV?? If so I'm callin CGI

Paced pretty well, great performances esp from Viggo, excellent atmosphere....just a little bit too cliche with the whole 'fucked up cat ruins the whole crime empire' and undercover twist imo.

some very good individual performances mired in an overall mediocre film.

the *twist* of Viggo being an insider was pretty weak and something one could speculate firmly on after he sets the prostitute free.

my main problem with that is it doesn't add much of anything to the story.

at least it was short, which I always like. but like a History of Violence, the atmosphere and acting in the beginning leave the viewer really disappointed by the time the bumbling third act is over.

It's not even close
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Magnificent Trident

"but like a History of Violence, the atmosphere and acting in the beginning leave the viewer really disappointed by the time the bumbling third act is over."

BOOP and all that
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Magnificent Trident

This was more of a standard gangster pick that did tie things up in a bow a little too quickly and easily at the end but I was never really not engaged or annoyed by its pretense.

It's a second or third-tier gangster movie, which means I will still be entertained by it when it comes on one Sunday afternoon when there's no good sports on TV and I just feel like watching something without thinking too hard. It's like a slightly inferior Russian version of State of Grace to me.

Meanwhile, I haven't tried to watch 21 Grams since I saw it in the theater when I walked out feeling like I had just watched a movie that thought it was a lot deeper than it actually was which bored me more than it depressed me or made me think.

I'll take Eastern Promises over History of Violence as well, although it's a lot closer than 21 Grams.

made me never want to see an Inarritu film again (a rule I broke by watching Babel)

but yeah, your USA Sunday Movie analogy is probably on point. I just thought the common vein was that they all had good acting, an intriguing premise and disappointed at the end.

>made me never want to see an Inarritu film again (a rule I
>broke by watching Babel)
>
>but yeah, your USA Sunday Movie analogy is probably on point.
>I just thought the common vein was that they all had good
>acting, an intriguing premise and disappointed at the end.

difference being, the premise of 21 Grams wasn't discernible aside from its need to be important.

I'd rather watch Road House.

Great movie

my fav of 07

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i really thought Kirill was gonna kill that baby. I'm glad he didn't. I also liked the scene in the restaurant with the mid wife's fam and nikoli.
"When I was in the KGB we knew how to deal with scum like you!"
*calmly* "Ah, and what did you do there?"
There were a lot of cold blooded scenes in this movie, but that opening barber shop throat slice had me grabbing my own neck like DAAAMN(c) smokey

The subject matter(russian secret societies) is interesting but the film just does not do it justice.
Grade C