93 - "Eastern Promises"

Published: Aug. 31, 2023, 6:04 p.m.

David Cronenberg is a great filmmaker, a legend in sci-fi film community but he also makes these dark, undertone thrillers where little action goes in the film but the one big violent scene is suppose to make it up for it all. In some cases, it works. In this film, it didn't work too much for me. It is a sold crime/gangster film. I love the fact how Anna who is played by Naomi Watts goes into the rabbit hole of Russian crime life all to make sure the baby she delivered is safe and with some type of GOOD family. Great motivation, great premise. It falls short in the third act of the film. I honestly felt it was weak. The screenplay overall is solid, it's written well everyone to understand what's going on. I just wished some scenes were birthed instead being known as a footnote in the overall film. I like cinematography, I like how the actors really became these characters, especially Vincent Cassel. He's the french GOAT and as always, he puts it all in this film. I like how the events in the film slowly unravel. I'd watch it again to appreciate Cronenberg's style and it's a style I can definitely get behind.

Three out of four tokes.