nekkid viggo

mr.comfortable ( thanks to Stine for naming this guy) & i went to go see ‘eastern promises‘ last night, and it’s definitely one of those movies that you can’t give out a blanket recommendation for everyone. i’ve been trying to remember how i felt about ‘a history of violence‘ (same actor & director), but since i didn’t leave a rating for it on netflix, there’s no immediate numerical recall. i’m going that for both, i thought they were good but i’m not completely in love.

the nutshell version of the plot is all twisty & convoluted: a russian girl dies while giving birth in london, and the midwife tries to find her family to keep the kiddo out of the foster care system. attempts to translate the girl’s diary for clues lead her to a den of russian mafiosos, and a guy who’s “just the driver” but working his way up the ranks. plenty of thuggery & mayhem & double-crosses ensue.

kiddos, for not being a horror flick, it’s gory as all get-out.  the bloody mafia hits had me flinching in my seat, which activity i believe amused my companion to no end.  while the italian mob have their story told in plenty of flicks, this portrayal of the more secretive and vindictive russian mafiya is completely fascinating and obviously thoroughly researched.  this *is* viggo mortensen’s movie, everyone else surrounds him with solid but potentially replaceable performances (with the exception of the mob boss’ son, the duc d’anjou from ‘elizabeth’, amazingly slimy. apparently, that’s his career).  he has a much-vaunted nude scene in here…which happens to be a fight scene.  yes, all during the ass-kickery, – he’s both giving and receiving some serious beating – his bits are flopping around as if to advertise target practice to his opponents.  combine this with the crotch-torture of the latest james bond movie, and i think we have the latest cinematic disturbing trend.  overall rather good, if loosely-ended, but avoid if graphic/naturalistic sex & violence aren’t your bag.