Eastern Promises

This film sort of came and went without notice over here… but it’s a little gem. It was nominated for several awards and it brings together again David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen following their work on the brilliant History of Violence, which I must say is also definitely one to check out.

Released in 2007 the film involves the Russian Mafia in modern day London but don’t let that put you off, it unfolds a great story that you want to know more about.

It opens with a death and a birth. We witness a graphic mob hit in a barber shop and then we see a 14-year-old pregnant Russian girl who collapses in a chemist shop.

The young girl is admitted to emergency at the local hospital where midwife Anna (Naomi Watts) assists with the birth but unfortunately she is unable to save the young girl.

Anna wants to find the young girl's family so they can look after the baby and while going through her possessions Anna finds a diary written in Russian and a business card for a London Russian restaurant.

Although Anna is from a Russian family she can’t speak the language and takes the diary home for her Uncle Stepan to translate for her. Stepan discovers that the girl was involved in something sinister and these are not the sort of people his niece should be associated with and refuses to go any further with the diary.

Undeterred, Anna has an obsessive curiosity and visits the restaurant named on the card in the hope of an answer. She comes across the owner Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl) who is a charming old man who shares a great interest in her story and agrees to help.

However, unbeknown to Anna this kind old man turns out to be the head of the local Russian Mafia and tells her to bring him the diary and he will gladly translate it.

On her next visit, Semyon is clearly annoyed that she brought a copy of the diary and has kept the original at home. You feel that Anna suspects that Semyon is ultimately responsible for the girl's death.

Anna unwittingly gets more involved with this dark murderous underworld where she comes across such unpredictable characters as Kirill (Vincent Cassel), the bosses psychotic son, who hopes one day to step into his fathers shoes and run the family business.

He is shadowed by Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) part body guard and part chauffer who is almost a brother to Kirill and also acts as a clean up man who turns out to be very apt at disposing of dead bodies. Nikolai takes a liking to Anna and you like to feel that she is safe when he is around but is she safe from him?

The Foker ‘Look out for moment’ has to be the unusual fight scene in a creepy looking city bathouse where two Russian hit men clad all in black and wearing the obligatory leather jackets that all Russian heavies seem to wear have a fight to the death with a stark naked Viggo Mortensen (dangly bits an all!!)… one for the girls.

Just beware it’s pretty violent!

Semyon suspects his son’s involvement in the barber shot mob murder which has sparked reprisals and makes him wonder if his son is ready to take over as the next head of the family.

Does this leave it open for Nikolai to step up? Is Anna in danger of getting too close to the truth? Does she look sexy on her motor bike?

I thoroughly recommend this film but just a friendly warning… don’t watch it with your mum! Oh! There’s a good little twist as well.

Four stars.

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