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Eastern Promises, a review by Jon

Eastern Promises
3 out of 5

David Cronenberg used to be a bit too surreal for my tastes, but then he teamed up with Viggo Mortensen and adapted John Wagner's graphic novel, A History of Violence. It was quite brilliant. The story suited Cronenberg's regular plot themes of family, as well as his visceral style that make all his movies so memorable. The result was as sharp as it was grimy. And so I've been looking forward to Eastern Promises for a very long time. It's wrong to expect Another History of Violence, but still, this was a crashing disappointment.

The story concerns the Russian Mafia in London and their sex trafficking activities resulting in an raped girl dying as she gives birth. A nurse (Naomi Watts) wishing to protect this child, crosses paths with the imposing Russian gangsters and in particular, a driver (Mortensen).

It's a very noble story and a neglected element in movies (aside from Boris the Blade in Snatch!), but writer Steven Knight seems to treat it a little too noble and it comes off like a TV movie, or even a Newsnight investigation. There's plenty of intrigue, but it all comes to nothing. It's predictable and worst of all, there's no peril. Watts is great as the nurse, but there's little for her to do other than grimace bravely and I never felt like anything was going to happen to her. Going into it, I had the impression that Viggo may provide the threat, but sadly, he like everything else in the movie is full of hot air.
Not to take anything away from him. He is incredible; a commanding presence covered in tattoos and attitude. I also can't blame Cronenberg, because he simply had nothing to work with, apart from one saving grace: a naked Mortensen in a viscous bloody sauna fight. It's a fantastic scene, bravely played by the actor and vintage Cronenberg. It's amongst the best scenes of the year and earned the film a whole extra star for my money. So sad most of the audience will be asleep by the time it comes around.

But for that scene, this movie belonged on TV. Sunday night, probably. Thinking about it, Kinight's previous film (Dirty Pretty Things) is very similar, but it at least had a sense of surrealism to lift it out of the doldrums.

Big missed opportunity. Cronenberg and those characters could have had something to match A History of Violence. Instead we got a Crimewatch reconstruction; very real, but in the movies, you need a bit of exaggeration to keep the attention.

The DVD is light on extras, but Viggo's interview is interesting as he talks about his intricate tattoos and the explicit meanings in the Russian crime world and prisons.

 

(From Eastern Promises on June 25th, 2008)

May, a review by Rich

Title: May

Movie Count:12  
TV Ep. Count:8  

Runtime:89
Certificate:18
Year:2002
Genres:Horror, Comedy

Plot:May is a terrifying tale about a young woman's desire for friendship, which ultimately turns to obsession. As the subject of constant ridicule from her peers and parents as a young girl, May is forced into a life of unwanted seclusion, Publicly outcast, she believes that her only true friend is the homemade doll given to her by her mother. Now that she's an adult, her deeply rooted scars manifest in vengeful behaviour. May finds herself envying specific body parts of the people she pursues for affection. After numerous failed attempts at companionship, she comes to the conclusion: If you can't find a friend, make one.

My Review:
Not horror at all, despite quite an exciting blurb on back cover, it actually turned out to be just a weird and fairly boring movie. The freakiness is mixed up with some interesting lesbian scenes, and the acting of Angela Bettis and Anna Faris was above expectations.
The script was a let-down, and the gore and special effects minimal. A distinct lack of tension has your finger hovering over the fast forward button, and the doll wasn't creepy at all.
More of an arty film about loneliness, not sure who it would appeal to?



(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 11th, 2009)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A doctor from a mental institution brings four of her patients to the station. All had been genetically anhanced when they were children but they weren't as lucky as Julian and something went wrong. The doctor hopes that Bashir can create a form of bond to them and is able to help them. He actually manages to establish a relation with them and together they analyze a holo recording of the current negotiations between the Federation and the Dominion and they are able to help. But then they discover something horrible.

My Opinion: This was a great episode. The actors played their eccentric characters very well and it was a joy to watch all these different characters. And I really liked it how Bashir showed that statistics can't predict every turn of events and how one person can change the course of history. In Germany we have a saying: "Don't trust a statistic you haven't faked yourself." And I look forward to see these guys and gals again.

Synopsis: Quark's and Rom's mother has become a prisoner of the Dominion. Quark wants to free her with a Ferengi-only group to prove that Ferengies are just as good warriors as - let's say - Klingons. But his team (consisting of himself, Rom, Nog, cousin Gaila, Brunt [formerly FCA] and the mercenary Leck) doesn't even pass the holodeck simulation. So they fall back on what they can do: They offer a trade: Ishka in exchange for the Vorta Keevan.

My Opinion: Yet another great episode. Except for the Nagus every Ferengi who had a guest appearance on DS9 was in this episode. It was so funny to watch them which was a good break from the war episodes. Too bad they couldn't find a seventh Ferengi - it would have been the perfect number for this episode.

BTW: The Vorta in the episode picture is Iggy Pop!

Synopsis: Dukat, whose condition hase been improved, is to be brought to a POW facility and Sisko escorts him there on the USS Honshu . But then the ship is attacked by the Dominion. Some people can escape in pods. Somehow Dukat has managed to get aboard a shuttle and he saves the unconscious Sisko. But they crash-land on a planet. From there they try to send a distress signal and have a "nice", long chat.

My Opinion: This disc is already my favourite disc of the season. The acting of Marc Alaimo (Dukat) was awesome. He played the insane and yet evil Dukat who tries to justifiy his actions by blaming everyone else perfectly. Even though Sisko was there this entire episode was carried by Dukat and his discussions with his hallucinations (and Sisko). "I wanted only the best for Bajor but these terrorists gave me no choice!" - Excellent.

Synopsis: Morn - one of Quark's regular guests - has died in an accident and he has made Quark his legal heir. His personal stuff isn't worth anything and he has quite an outstanding bill at the bar. But then his ex-wife shows up and implies that Morn was quite rich and she wouldn't fight Quark over the money as long as she gets a share. Now the treasure hunt for a thousand bricks in gold-pressed latinum begins. But with every day there are more people who want their share of it.

My Opinion: Morn has been a customer of the bar since the pilot episode. It has become a running gag on the show to claim that Morn is quite the chatterbox while the actor has never uttered a single word on screen (and he never will, not even in this episode). Up until now he has just been an extra but an extra that made the entire show more real because he is the prove that there is a regular station life outside the focus on the main characters. And luckily for us he isn't dead after all but will be there until the end of the show.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on February 21st, 2009)