Eastern Promises
Rated: R
I believe that script is the most essential aspect to any film. It's the blueprint for the entire film and without a solid script that at least nails an interesting story with worthwhile characters, you're going to have a crappy movie that no amount of visual flair, judicious editing, or strong performances can save. Leave it to director David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence) to prove me wrong. Working from Steven Knight's banal script, Cronenberg makes a captivating film that demonstrates why he's one of the most memorable and unique visionaries working in cinema today who can almost weave a masterpiece when he has a cast made up of Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and giving one of the year's best performances, Viggo Mortensen. Unfortunately, they all have to trudge through Knight's weak script of a midwife (Watts) who finds herself drawn into the world of the Russian mob in London as she struggles to protect the baby of a young girl who died during childbirth. As she nears the precipice formed by the absolute evil of mob boss Seymon (Mueller-Stahl, more intimidating and frightening than any blade-wielding psycho of any recent horror flick), she forms a fascinating relationship with the family's sad Angel of Death, Nikolai (Mortensen). The film attempts to weave an interesting morality tale about how both weak and strong men try to find their conscience when confronted with unwavering evil. Unfortunately, Knight completely drops the ball with a third-act twist I won't reveal but hopefully you'll cringe like I did when you see it. What you'll definitely notice is one of Cronenberg's most brutal scenes to date and one that will haunt you well after you leave the theatre. But Cronenberg leaves his mark on the entire film as he peppers scenes with both his grotesque style and bits of dark humor. Eastern Promises manages to surpass its shallow script to emerge as one of the year's most captivating thrillers. Sadly, it left me wondering what kind of masterpiece Cronenberg could have built with a better blueprint. Words by |