This movie from David Cronenberg, who gave us the far superior A History of Violence, treads similar water showing us the ups and downs of a gangster/mafia like family and what happens when secrets get out and how far the family will go to cover up those secrets.

Viggo Mortensen again plays the one with the secret, and this time does it with a convincing Russian accent.  Naomi Watts plays the nurse who gets mixed up in a less than desirable situation trying to find a home for a baby who has been born on her shift since the mother has died from a gangster mishap. The interesting thing about this occurrence is that Watts’ character would not be in this mess if she hadn’t done some wrong herself by stealing the dead woman’s diary.  She says it is commonplace among hospital staff, but that certainly doesn’t make it right and it makes her be part of a whole cover up that never would have been uncovered if it wasn’t for her.  Armin Mueller-Stahl plays the godfather type to Vincent Cassel’s dirty work guy and Viggo’s driver.

The movie mostly meanders along without going anywhere for much of the time, slipping in and out of speaking Russian half the time and English with thick accents the rest.  It was very hard to discern what was being said half of the time.  It is actually kind of funny that only Viggo uses an accent as all the others use their own existing accents.  I never really knew where this movie was taking place and with the rustic dark look of the movie, I continually wondered if it was to be set in a past time period.  Cronenberg used violence as his picture with blood spilling everywhere with not much point at all.  A History of Violence used the violence as a metaphorical effect on today’s society.  This movie just uses it to use it.  It seemed pointless.

Eastern Promises was a critical darling and on some critics top ten list.  I can’t put it there.  It ends up with the rest of my mediocre films of 2007, which is becoming quite a big list.  After Violence, Promises is a let down and it is time for Viggo and Cronenberg to stop killing in the movies and find another path to pursue.  Here’s hoping that the next ‘promise’ we get from these two is that they create a compelling drama, and not continue their own history of violence.

Similar recommended titles: A History of Violence