Eastern Promises

Dare I say it? I have to say it. You wouldn't! I would! VIGGO'S BEST MOVIE!!! The film starts off quickly. I girl is dying while giving birth. A midwife named Anna (Naomi Watts) delivers the baby successfully, but the mother doesn't make it. She had a journal on her, but being in London, and written in Russian she only has a few options to get details about who this young woman was. Anna's uncle could translate it, but being a man, he doesn't want to meddle in other's affairs. Unfortunately Anna is female which I think is latin for "meddler". Seriously though, she just needs to find next of kin for the care of the baby. Inside the Journal is a business card for a local Russian restaurant. She visits for answers and meets Semyon. The owner and generally nice man. He offers to translate only to realize he and his are mentioned in the journal as rapists of the girl who dies. More precisely, his son. His son is classic silver spoon brat, who is not held accountable for any of his actions. The worse news that she does not know right away is the man she just met is the Boss of a major Russian Mafia family.  Viggo is Nikolai. He is the family's driver, enforcer, and baby sitter of Kirill (Vincent Cassel who is the punk son mentioned earlier). He and Viggo are about the same age, but it really comes across that Viggo is annoyed at his immaturity and antics most of the time. Nikolai is one of the most intimidating on screen characters ever. He scared the be-Jesus out of me, because you really feel that he would not think of ending you at any given moment. It's probably his lack of vocals and long dead stares. He has real issues with Anna poking around, yet Semyon seems to like her. Nikolai is a valuable asset to the family, because he gets results. That is why he soon becomes a target of a different crime family. One of the worst possible scenarios for a knife fight take place. Why? Naked in the steam room. Fighting full force with "the bits" swinging to and fro. No thanks. I guarantee you will have absolutely no clue what's to come. I remember watching and saying, WHAT!!! THAT'S AWESOME!!!  Like I said, Viggo's best. It should've won him an Oscar. He was beat by Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood". I have no doubt that you will like this film right up until the end, and at that point you will LOVE this film.

NBM rates Eastern Promises - A Work of Cinematic Art

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