Vanguard

Summary
"Eastern Promises" follows the actions of a London-based Russian mob ring. The primary plot involves Dr. Anna Khitrova played by actress Naomi Watts as she searches out the history of a deceased woman who gave birth to a baby just before her death. Along the way she discovers the Russian mob is behind the young mother's dark tale. She is determined to find retribution for the orphaned child in spite of the risks to her and her family's own safety. Nikolai Luzhin, played by Viggo Mortenson, is a member of the Russian mob family that steps in to warn Anna to stay out of the mob's business.

Acting
Naomi Watts plays an adequate role as Anna, but her performance lacks some appeal for moviegoers like myself. She seemed to show little scope in a role that could have illustrated her ability to display anger and indignation to their full extent.

Viggo Mortenson may play the most intense role of his entire acting career in "Eastern Promises." He adopts a convincing Russian accent and undergoes some of the most intense fight scenes ever seen on the big screen. I also applaud him for not shying from the fact that one of his fights scenes finds him in a less-than-dressed state.

Mueller-Stahl's performance as Semyon, the leader of a Russian mafia family, chills to the bone. In every scene he enters, the atmosphere fills with palpable tension. Without a single action or word, Mueller-Stahl projects the aura of a violent, and possibly insane, mob leader.

Storyline
Writer Steve Knight has created a story that is violent, intense and stark; Knight tells a harsh yet ultimately hopeful story about the darkest parts of the Russian immigrant experience.

Overall
The movie is fast-paced and extremely violent. Anna Khitrova's actions are not always believable--a result of a slightly forced plot line. The darkness of the movie left me feeling depressed in spite of the so-called happy ending of the movie. The violence and criminal behavior of the Russian characters left me wondering if Russia will ever overcome the bad-guy reputation it gained during the Cold War.

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