This was completely not the movie I was expecting. Sure, the violent Russian mob side of things was expected but the characters and the course of the story were totally out of the blue for me. Too many hints about how everything and everyone come together in this snugly-constructed film would be unfair; suffice it to say that it has plenty of twists and surprises along the way to a satisfying conclusion that isn't pushed too far.

With mob movies I feel like there are three ways you can go; either you ‘Goodfellas' it and have one of your own turn on the organization or you can ‘Donnie Brasco' it and have a cop infiltrate the organization to take it down, or you can go the ‘Godfather' way and have it all be about the fighting within the group itself. I won't give things away by saying which of these options Eastern Promises goes with, but I will say it was a shock to me.  What people may find disturbing is the level and detail of the violence, but again this is a violent world where life is cheap. There's not an over-played scene or hammered note in the film. It's just a tense, tight two hours.

Yes, I'll say it. And I'm as surprised as anyone to hear it. Eastern Promises can stand on Top Ten Mob Movie lists alongside Godfathers I & II, Goodfellas and Donnie Brasco. That's pretty good company for a guy who used to blow up heads for a living.

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