Eastern Promises

[Brian in Mesa]

Cronenberg Makes Eastern Promises
Source: Focus Features
November 17, 2006

Focus Features has informed ComingSoon.net about the start of production on David Cronenberg's next film Eastern Promises, which will reunite the director with his History of Violence star Viggo Mortensen, joined by Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts. The supporting cast includes Vincent Cassel, Academy Award nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Donald Sumpter, and filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski.

The film, which starts shooting in London next week, follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (Mortensen), who is tied to one of London's most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna (Watts), an innocent midwife trying to right a wrong, who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution.

Written by Steven Knight, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things, the Kudos Pictures and Serendipity Point Films co-production will be distributed domestically and internationally by Focus Features with Canadian distribution handled by Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution LP.

 

[Stout]

Cool! I just sent in a headshot and resume to the casting director. Rossreports is the best...lists the films getting ready to shoot, and the addresses for the casting folk. Hope to hear from them (longshot).

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Cool! I just sent in a headshot and resume to the casting director. Rossreports is the best...lists the films getting ready to shoot, and the addresses for the casting folk. Hope to hear from them (longshot).

I hope you get the gig, man. Keep us updated.

 

[Stout]

I hope you get the gig, man. Keep us updated.

Wilco!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Eastern Promises

Release Date: September 14, 2007 (limited; wide release: September 21)
Studio: Focus Features
Director: David Cronenberg
Screenwriter: Steve Knight
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong brutal and bloody violence, some graphic sexuality, language and nudity)
Website: Eastern Promises

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Donald Sumpter, Jerzy Skolimowski

Plot Summary: The mysterious and charismatic Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin (Mortensen) is a driver for one of London's most notorious organized crime families of Eastern European origin. The family itself is part of the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. Headed by Semyon (Academy Award nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl), whose courtly charm as the welcoming proprietor of the plush Trans-Siberian restaurant impeccably masks a cold and brutal core, the family's fortunes are tested by Semyon's volatile son and enforcer, Kirill (Vincent Cassel), who is more tightly bound to Nikolai than to his own father.

But Nikolai's carefully maintained existence is jarred once he crosses paths at Christmastime with Anna Khitrova (Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts), a midwife at a North London hospital. Anna is deeply affected by the desperate situation of a young teenager who dies while giving birth to a baby. Anna resolves to try to trace the baby's lineage and relatives. The girl's personal diary also survives her; it is written in Russian, and Anna seeks answers in it.

Anna's mother Helen (Sinead Cusack) does not discourage her, but Anna's irascible Russian-born uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) urges caution. He is right to do so; by delving into the diary, Anna has accidentally unleashed the full fury of the Vory.

 

[O]

I just watched this tonight.

It's a pretty damn good movie!

 

[Shane]

This movie was GOOOOOOD! Strong strong performance from Viggo!

 

[Louis]

Excellent film. The entire cast gave a great performance.

Though I think I've seen too much of Viggo on screen.

One complaint:

The premee baby looked real. Naomi riding a motorcycle looked horribly fake.

 

[Heucrazy]

I watched it last night and I liked it. But even my wife had enough of naked Viggo after about 5 minutes.

 

[Stout]

Needless to say, I didn't make it into the film LOL

Saw it a few times now...great flick. Viggo was just incredible as a Russian. Much as I didn't want to see that much Viggo, it was perfectly justified and, frankly, with how vicious and edge-of-death that fight was, I wasn't focused on the nudity.

And what happened to Naomi Watts? She looked like she was beaten by every ugly stick in London! She just looked saggy and old...wow.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Recently watched it. Wow, fantastic movie. I've watched a lot of movies, and I must say I've never seen a fight scene quite like the bathroom fight in this movie. Especially that last stab at the end. I won't be forgetting that one for a longggg time.

I'll definitely rewatch this one when it comes to hbo. The only complaint I have is that it left me wanting more, which I guess is a mark of a good movie.

 

[Linderbee]

Recently watched it. Wow, fantastic movie. I've watched a lot of movies, and I must say I've never seen a fight scene quite like the bathroom fight in this movie. Especially that last stab at the end. I won't be forgetting that one for a longggg time.

I'll definitely rewatch this one when it comes to hbo. The only complaint I have is that it left me wanting more, which I guess is a mark of a good movie.

I've never seen it.

 

[Shane]

I've never seen it.

DCR wont let you!

 

[Linderbee]

DCR wont let you!

Ha! Not true.

 

[Yuma]

Viggo the porn star. The scene where he screws the sex slave girl while the psycho boss' son watches was very weird!

 

[FArting]

My brother rented this 2 days ago. Good movie