Eastern Promises

This movie is not for the squeamish — it starts out with a throat-cutting and a near miscarriage. Later on, you see Viggo Mortensen in a bloody fight inside a bathhouse — you picture the rest. Or not. The gore and violence (and some nudity) was not a surprise, considering how the film aimed to provide an authentic look at the Russian mafia in London. The filmmakers and the actors conducted considerable research before filming. Viggo even went to Russia and hung out with some seedy Russians. What’s interesting was that the main actors were not Russian, but were required to speak in a Russian accent. Perhaps after speaking elvish, Russian wasn’t so hard for Viggo after all.

Filed under: Movies