Eastern Promises (2007)

Eastern Promises (2007)

Dir. David Cronenberg

Ordinarily, I prefer it when an actor is of the same nationality as the character they're playing onscreen; e.g., if a protagonist is supposed to be Scottish, then hire an actual Scot. It's especially beneficial in biopics, or when the character isn't a native English speaker in an English language setting.

Casting someone who understands on a fundamental level the culture that they're portraying allows an actor to tap into the unconscious influence that thinking in one's native language brings. If successful, it can permeate the performance and even accentuate or enrich any traits, nuances, etc, that can be consciously observed in specific nationalities. It's basic common sense.

But sometimes an actor can be so good in a role that such concerns are almost forgotten about when viewing. Viggo as a fictional Russian mobster in Cronenberg's Eastern Promises is on that list. It's his second collaboration with the director and it tops their first in every way.

That was a longer introduction than I'd planned, so I'll shorten the rest to compensate. While attempting to help an orphaned baby, a London midwife named Anna (Naomi Watts) crosses paths with Russian mafia members, for whom the tattooed Nikolai (Viggo) works. Anna's good intentions put her own safety at risk. While in Nikolai's world, his status is changing.

Quietly menacing scenes complement moments of graphic violence, with no one tone overpowering the other. It's beautifully naturalistic, with fantastic lighting (considering the location). And all of the actors shine, but it's Viggo that is most memorable.

Croneneberg advances us into the underworld slowly but effortlessly, like Anna's journey into Nikolai's and that of the boss, restaurant owner Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Like most gangster movies there are a few moments reminiscent of The Godfather (1972), but the story is different enough to make such remarks little more than of passing interest. The film stands strong on its own merits, suitable even for folks who don't typically like the director's style.