by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
A Rated R 100 min
This twisting, intriguing scenario involving the Russian Mafia in London, England was skillfully shot in dark tones by director David Cronenberg. It is by far Cronenberg’s best film to date. It harkens back to the golden age of Hollywood when filmmaking was still considered an art. Brilliantly cast with Viggo Mortensen portraying a Russian mob soldier, Nikolai, who works for the mob boss Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Naomi Watts portrays Anna, a midwife and nurse who comes from a Russian family.
One day, Anna helps a young Russian woman patient who is pregnant but having severe complications. The baby is born healthy but the woman dies. Anna finds her diary with a card to Semyon’s restaurant. Anna wonders if it has information about who she can contact to take care of the child. The personal journal contains damning information that could expose Semyon’s criminal enterprise. As a cover, Semyon owns a popular Russian restaurant. Anna innocently asks Semyon to translate the diary. Wisely, she gives him copies of it and keeps the original. Unbeknownst to Anna, the diary’s explosive information puts her and her uncle, a former KGB official, at risk.
Nikolai, who calls himself “a driver” for Semyon, takes a liking to Anna. In the pecking order of the Russian Mafia, Nikolai’s brother Kirill (Vincent Cassel) is a captain, above Nickolai in rank. Krill is a loose cannon who drinks too much, is given to rages, and is sadistic. Nikolai acts as a calming influence to his brother. The two carry out Semyon’s orders as hitmen and gofers. These Russian mobsters make the American Mafia look like Boy Scouts. They are ruthless and will kill anyone who gets in their way or who poses a threat–babies, men, women, children or even dogs.
Much to her chagrin, Anna’s uncle translates the original copy of the diary and warns her that Semyon may come after her and the whole family to protect the diary’s secret. Oddly, Nikolai seems to be protecting Anna from Kirill and Semyon. Anna now knows that she and her uncle are in great danger. The loyalties and alliances of the “Thieves’ World” of the Russian Mafia go back hundreds of years. In Russian prisons and Stalin’s gulags, the inmates were tattooed, which tell their stories in pictures, marking them Thieves’ World members for life. Death is the only way out for members.
Screenwriter Steve Knight crafted a multilayered scenario that gradually builds tension and momentum, with a surprise toward the end. The violent scenes of Mafia executions are graphic illustrations of the Russian mob’s favorite method of killing–slitting a victim’s throat with their special curved knife. These grizzly scenes are in stark contrast to the happy scenes at Semyon’s restaurant with all its colorful food and festive atmosphere.
Nikolai is tapped by Semyon to take the blood oath of the Thieves’ World as Semyon’s lieutenant. He accepts, takes the oath, and gets the obligatory star tattoos over his chest. Now, Nikolai outranks his brother and is in line to take over Semyon’s leadership of the gang. It is an awesome responsibility.
Meanwhile, Anna has been taking care of the dead woman’s baby, which seems fitting since she lost her baby and her husband bolted. Anna’s uncle has disappeared and is feared dead, and Anna is terrified that Semyon will harm her and the baby. At this point in the story, things go south, and sinister forces take hold of the characters.
Viggo Mortensen has a fight scene in the nude in a Russian steam bath that will go down in film history as one of the bloodiest and freakiest hand-to-hand combat scenes in film history. These Russian thugs love their blood and killing up close and personal.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
