The performances are all uniformly excellent.
What truly elevates the film to another level are the actors. The performances are all uniformly excellent. Naomi Watts continues to prove she´s one of the top actresses working today. Watts proves she can bring something substantial to the table whether it´s comedy ("I Heart Huckabee´s"), blockbusters ("King Kong"), or a gritty film like this or "21 Grams." Mueller-Stahl should definitely be in line for an Oscar nod for his chilling portrayal of Semyon. He never has to resort to mustache twirling or other histrionics while playing the villain. In fact, he rarely ever raises his voice. On the surface, Semyon appears to be nothing more than a gentle grandfather which makes him all the more frightening. As good as they are, the picture hangs on Mortensen. He doesn´t just play a character, he inhabits the role. Mortensen dons a dapper suit, a tightly trimmed hairdo and tattoos galore for Nikolai. His accent and gravelly voice feel authentic. Simply put, he´s great in this movie. It´s really interesting to note that none of the main Russian characters are played by Russians. Mueller-Stahl is German, Cassel is French, and Mortensen is of Danish descent.
"Eastern Promises" isn´t without its share of bloodletting. Cronenberg may have put his more extreme subjects on the backburner, but he still keeps his trademark tendencies for violent scenes. There are two pretty graphic throat slitting scenes. The centerpiece of the movie has to be a gruesome fight scene inside a steam room. The fight looks entirely genuine and not a sequence that has been overly choreographed. It´s just a nasty piece of business and one of the best fight scenes I´ve ever seen.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is strong. There is some grain and a few shots look paler than the majority of the film. It´s likely due to how the movie was shot rather than anything to do with the transfer.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with an alternate French dubbed language track also in 5.1. The dialogue is easily understood and the score by Howard Shore sounds good.
EXTRAS:
Secrets and Stories (10:32) is the making-of featurette. The cast and crew discuss shooting in London and dealing with the topics of the Russian mob and human trafficking.
Marked for Life (6:38) focuses on the tattoos. We get footage of the make-up tests and we learn the meaning of each tattoo as they are pointed out.
There are previews of other Focus films such as "Lust, Caution", "Atonement", and "Reservation Road" that play as the DVD starts up. The lack of extras is very disappointment. I would have preferred longer and deeper looks at the making of the film and a commentary track with Cronenberg who is usually a good listen.
FILM VALUE:
I count David Cronenberg as one of my favorite directors and I´m glad to see him getting more recognition. I thought "A History of Violence" was one of the best films of 2005 and "Eastern Promises" is easily one of the best films of 2007. "Promises" is a bit of a formulaic thriller, but it´s so well-made and the performances are all so amazing that it transcends its weaker trappings. This is a fascinating look at a dark and sadistic world.
"Eastern Promises" isn´t without its share of bloodletting. Cronenberg may have put his more extreme subjects on the backburner, but he still keeps his trademark tendencies for violent scenes. There are two pretty graphic throat slitting scenes. The centerpiece of the movie has to be a gruesome fight scene inside a steam room. The fight looks entirely genuine and not a sequence that has been overly choreographed. It´s just a nasty piece of business and one of the best fight scenes I´ve ever seen.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is strong. There is some grain and a few shots look paler than the majority of the film. It´s likely due to how the movie was shot rather than anything to do with the transfer.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with an alternate French dubbed language track also in 5.1. The dialogue is easily understood and the score by Howard Shore sounds good.
EXTRAS:
Secrets and Stories (10:32) is the making-of featurette. The cast and crew discuss shooting in London and dealing with the topics of the Russian mob and human trafficking.
Marked for Life (6:38) focuses on the tattoos. We get footage of the make-up tests and we learn the meaning of each tattoo as they are pointed out.
There are previews of other Focus films such as "Lust, Caution", "Atonement", and "Reservation Road" that play as the DVD starts up. The lack of extras is very disappointment. I would have preferred longer and deeper looks at the making of the film and a commentary track with Cronenberg who is usually a good listen.
FILM VALUE:
I count David Cronenberg as one of my favorite directors and I´m glad to see him getting more recognition. I thought "A History of Violence" was one of the best films of 2005 and "Eastern Promises" is easily one of the best films of 2007. "Promises" is a bit of a formulaic thriller, but it´s so well-made and the performances are all so amazing that it transcends its weaker trappings. This is a fascinating look at a dark and sadistic world.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]22529[/release]