Two guys walk into a bath house...

I'm telling you right now...this man can work a suit.


I caught Eastern Promises this weekend. David Cronenberg (forgot to note down how to spell his name and I'm too lazy to go look for it...sorry) and Viggo Mortensen team up once again for this tale about the Russian Mob and the complications created by the birth of one child and the attempts of another to impress his father.


The movie is owned by Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl, who plays the head of the family of mobsters. Mortensen conveys a cool, but always aware attitude. He continues to find subtlety within his performance and uses it to great effect in this movie. He makes you feel off balance, never quite sure of whether or not to trust him. Mueller-Stahl gives off a heady mix of menace wrapped in the guise of a kindly grandfather. As soon as he begins to calmly and gently pump Naomi Watts' character for information in regards to a recently orphaned baby, you know this man could have you killed in a second and you should really not be anywhere near him. He doesn't use a gun to threaten, he just makes it clear that he is in complete control...always.

Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel (sp...again) are both just fine in their parts, but neither one seems to jump off the screen. I blame the script, which sometimes lags. There are several moments of graphic violence, which if you are a fan of David C's movies won't surprise you. In fact, the scene where Viggo fights with two guys in the bath house was really impressive. And not just because Viggo is naked through out. The movie looks great and I was impressed by how good the Russian accents sounded. Not that I'm that familiar with the true accent, but they didn't sound like Boris and Natasha from Bullwinkle, a definite plus.

I don't know that this is David C.'s best film, but it is still pretty solid and worth checking out just to see Viggo continue to stretch as an actor...that and to see the guy get stabbed in the eye.

On a side note, I just read that fabbo Jason Bateman has joined the cast of State Of Play. I'm not sure if I've mentioned State Of Play before, but it is one of the best British mini-series I have ever seen. Sadly it is still not available on DVD (damn you BBC!!!!), so I have to be careful with my taped copy. Ed Norton and Brad Pitt have already signed on. I'm not sure I'm ready to accept Brad in the role that John Simm did so well in, but I guess I'll just have to suck it up.

Also--new Foo Fighters cd out tomorrow!!! PJ Harvey in the week following!!!! Yeah!