Eastern Promises (2007)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

Steven Knight (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 September 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Every sin leaves a mark.

Plot:

A Russian teenager living in London who dies during childbirth leaves clues to a midwife in her journal that that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.

Plot Keywords:

Organized Crime | Stabbed In The Chest | Restaurant | Racist Comment | Hospital

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 19 wins & 34 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Oct. 17

8:00 PM

HBO

Cast

Josef Altin	...	Ekrem
Mina E. Mina	...	Azim
Aleksandar Mikic	...	Soyka (as Aleksander Mikic)
Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse	...	Tatiana (as Sarah Jeanne Labrosse)
Lalita Ahmed	...	Customer
Badi Uzzaman	...	Chemist
Naomi Watts	...	Anna
Doña Croll	...	Nurse (as Dona Croll)
Raza Jaffrey	...	Doctor Aziz
Sinéad Cusack	...	Helen (as Sinead Cusack)
Jerzy Skolimowski	...	Stepan
Tatiana Maslany	...	Tatiana (voice)
Viggo Mortensen	...	Nikolai
Vincent Cassel	...	Kirill
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Semyon

Also Known As:

Promesses de l'ombre (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal and bloody violence, some graphic sexuality, language and nudity.

Runtime:

100 min | Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK | Canada | USA

Language:

English | Russian | Turkish | Ukrainian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | UK:18 | Australia:R | Ireland:18 | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Taiwan:R-18 | Hong Kong:III | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:16 | Italy:VM14 | Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18PL (cut) | Argentina:16 | Israel:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Japan:R-18 | Thailand:PD-14 | Canada:XXX (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Broadway Market, Hackney, London, England, UK

Company:

Serendipity Point Films

Trivia:

For the bathhouse fight scene, the scene was choreographed with the actors (not stuntmen), the actors had to train in specific fighting styles chosen for their characters and it took two days to shoot on location in London.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last river scene, the baby is alternately crying or sleeping as the camera angle switches back and forth.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Azim: He says "Christmas." So I say to him,
[in Turkish]
Azim: "Should we go shopping?"
[English]
Azim: The kid's 16. He says, "But uncle, it's Christmas."

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-09-08)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Step Da Step Krugom

Viggo Mortenssen and David Cronenberg together again

Russian mobsters, a rainy, murky London, a midwife and Viggo Mortensen makes this David Cronemberg film a perfect companion piece to his "A History Of Violence". My two favourite films of this idiosyncratic and fascinating director. Naomi Watts and motherhood go beautifully together and it's her gutsy maternal instinct that throws her in a world populated by truly horrible people. The trick is, we go with her and within that brutal world we meet some memorable characters. Viggo Mortensen, what an actor! His fearlessness is riveting, he's also beautiful beyond words. We think we can read him but we doubt our own thoughts, he's in total control of his character and of his audience. He has the face of an icon and he underplays it, over playing it. If you see History Of Violence and Eastern Promises you'll understand what I mean. This is not a film to like but to love and I loved it.