RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Eastern Promises
Eastern Promises

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Eastern Promises (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
89 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:185

Fresh:164

Rotten:21

Average Rating:7.6/10

Consensus: David Cronenberg triumphs again, showcasing the Viggo Mortensen's onscreen prowess in a daring performance. Bearing the trademarks of psychological drama and gritty violence, Eastern Promises is a very compelling crime story.

Rated: 18

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Thriller, Deception, Theatrical Release, Crime, Violence

Theatrical Release:26-10-2007

Synopsis: The new thriller reteaming acclaimed director David Cronenberg with his A History of Violence leading man Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises is written by Steve Knight (Academy Award-nominated... The new thriller reteaming acclaimed director David Cronenberg with his A History of Violence leading man Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises is written by Steve Knight (Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Dirty Pretty Things). As in the earlier film, director and star together explore the psyche, physicality, and fortunes of a man whose true nature may never be wholly revealed. The mysterious and charismatic Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin (Mr. 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 (Sinéad 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. With Semyon and Kirill closing ranks and Anna pressing her inquiries, Nikolai unexpectedly finds his loyalties divided. The family tightens its grip on him; who can, or should, he trust? Several lives – including his own – hang in the balance as a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution reverberates through the darkest corners of both the family and London itself. -- © Focus Features [More]

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl

Director: David Cronenberg

Director: David Cronenberg
Screenwriter: Steve Knight
Producer: Paul Webster, Robert Lantos
Composer: Howard Shore
Studio: Focus Features

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Read Your Diary
    >
    Trailer B
    >
    You Might Want To Leave Room
    >
  • Tatiana
    >
    The Address
    >
    Read The Diary
    >
    How Did You Get In Here?
    >
  • Stars
    >
1 - 4 of 9

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Eastern Promises

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Its subtext, which is about sex and violence and the way one often dovetails with the other, and the skill of its making, render it gripping enough.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
10/26/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

An orgy of slit throats, lopped digits and a naked fight scene that will tattoo itself on to your brain.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
10/26/07
Stuart McGurk
Stuart McGurk
thelondonpaper

Cronenberg is his own master, still ready to throw in the sort of scene few other directors could dare.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
10/26/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Although relentlessly gripping, the film is more interesting than it is satisfying, let down by the script.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
10/26/07
Karl French
Karl French
Financial Times

Despite the star presence of Viggo Mortensen, David Cronenberg's violent film about the Russian Mafia in London is a disappointment.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
10/26/07
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The David Cronenberg-directed movie — which caused outrage this week after being passed uncut by the censors — does not leave anything to the imagination when it comes to death.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
10/26/07
Sun Online

There are interesting scenes, moments, ideas: but Eastern Promises does not have the sinew and boldness of Cronenberg's best work.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 1 Comment
10/26/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Very violent but chillingly cool.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/26/07
Daily Mirror [UK]

Accents are as thick as borscht, and vodka flows almost as freely as the blood.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
10/26/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Such brutality may be hard to watch, but it's more truthful than most big-screen violence, and it doesn't have the flippancy that so degrades Eli Roth, Tarantino and other purveyors of 'torture porn'.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
10/26/07
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

An instant cult classic.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/26/07
David Jones
David Jones
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A violent taut thriller that explores an entirely different moral universe: Hackney.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/24/07
Matthew De Abaitua
Matthew De Abaitua
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like the Borscht served on Semyon’s Trans-Siberian menu, Promises is filling, flavoursome and full of dead meat. Thanks to its compelling story and a powerful performance by Mortensen, it’s also as hard to shake off as one of Nikolai’s tattoos.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
10/24/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

slightly hesitant, slightly undercharacterised and gently compromising, hybrid: an oddly diplomatic, if often brutal, dip into the hellish demi-mondes lurking behind bouncer-guarded London doorways.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/24/07
Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The immigrant experience takes on a blacker-than-black hue in director David Cronenberg's masterful tale of Russian mafiosa in London.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
10/24/07
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

Mortensen shines but a contrived, issue-driven plot destabilises what could have been a great Russian gangster movie.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/24/07
Dorian Lynskey
Dorian Lynskey
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Impressively directed, gripping thriller with a strong script and superb performances from Watts and Mortensen.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/18/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Features strikingly good performances, as well as a realistic vision of London's darker, wetter corners.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/30/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Even if the frequently low-key plot suffers from the occasional sleepy stretch, Mortensen turns in a magnificent performance.

Full Review Source: Times-Picayune | comment Comment
10/23/09
Mike Scott
Mike Scott
Times-Picayune

Late-period Cronenberg masterpiece

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/27/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for Eastern Promises

April 03, 2009: Weekly Ketchup: Sony announces Men in Black III
Right smack in the middle of this week was April Fool's Day, so some stories this week had to be always be viewed with a grain of salt, but there was indeed real movie news. ... More...

March 30, 2009: Cronenberg Making More Eastern Promises Opens in new window
Surprise! David Cronenberg is planning a sequel to "Eastern Promises." (Warning: if you haven't seen "Eastern Promises," and plan to one day, skip the finale-spoiling first... More...

November 05, 2008: MovieReign.com: Barbershop throat slitting, nude macho wrestling and eye gouging in a bathhouse, and far too willing underage Ukrainian sex slaves. A double vodka, please. Opens in new window
More...

February 17, 2008: SONY Tropfest
SONY TROPFEST, the world's largest film festival, once again pulled crowds of over 150,000 as it screened the 16 finalists films for 2008. More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
22
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
162
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
78
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
54
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
36
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
27
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
23
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
30
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Eastern Promises at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Eastern Promises at IGN
  • Eastern Promises at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.