Now, a question of etiquette - as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch?

Yo yo yo!

Firstly, can anyone name the movie the title of this post is from?? I'm pretty sure most of you have seen it. I hope so at least.
Ok now on to more pressing issues.
In my last post I mentioned a little film by the name of Crash. Unfortunately, David Cronenberg did not direct the 2004 Best Picture version I'm sure everyone is familiar with. Sorry for any confusion. You should still check out Cronenberg's 1996 Crash for a different kind of "mind-fornication" (except change fornication with a synonym starting with the same letter).

ANYWAY.

I saw Eastern Promises this weekend and it actually turned out to be as good as I anticipated. I thought Viggo did a wonderful job (however, he rarely disappoints). I can best describe the impression his character gave me by comparing it to when I watch the scene in Aladdin when Jasmine starts flirting with (and eventually makes out with) Jafar so that Aladdin can grab the lamp. It's really uncomfortable, and you shouldn't be supporting her behavior, but at the same time you can't help but be drawn to the situation because it's so opposite of what's conventional and acceptable.

Maybe that's just me.

Nikolai, Viggo's character, is creepy, but in an accessible way. He does some crazy stuff, but somehow manages to redeem himself, which allows him to stay favorable in the audience's mind.
I don't want to give any more away. But go see it.
Except Ryne, who should definitely follow his gut and see the Bratz movie.

I also had the great fortune to watch Frederico Fellini's 8 1/2 this weekend. Having heard praise from people whose opinion I trust and value, I was afraid of, what I like to call, "over-hypensation". This phenomenon is unavoidable, in fact, I probably demonstrated some tendencies during my Eastern Promises rant.

I'm glad to say I did not experience over-hypensation and was totally down with Fellini's neorealist, albeit archetypal, 1963 classic. (In fact, I feel like Michel Gondry might have gotten some themes for last year's Science of Sleep from this movie.) I was so down with it that I gave into rewatching it with the commentary on, which I almost never do. I watched some key scenes, and boy, am I glad I did, especially learning about the potential background of asa nisi masa, the rosebud of 8 1/2. Fellini is a most interesting director and thanks to Blockbuster Total-Access, La Strada and La Dolce Vita will be arriving at my humble abode any day now.

Bless you Blockbuster Total-Access.

Since I mentioned him in this post and we're going to watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind later this year, I figure this would be approprite. Maybe you guys will appreciate getting a little more familiar with the elusive Michel Gondry.

'Eastern Promises' to be Promising?

My first exposure to Eastern Promises was during the previews for a different movie. I exhibited typical movie-going tendencies by leaning over to the person next to me and whispering, "That looks good." Being quasi-exposed to director David Cronenberg (via Naked Lunch, Crash and A History of Violence), I was excited to hear that he was tackling a Russian mob movie, especially with Viggo Mortensen as the lead and featuring Vincent Cassel (one of my favorites). Acclaim from the Toronto Film Festival and Village Voice writer J. Hoberman, led me to the conclusion that Eastern Promises appears to be a movie I would not regret spending $8.25 on.
Although I am not well-versed in movie critics, J. Hoberman seemed like a reliable source when investigating my hunch about Cronenberg’s potential success. I was not disappointed. Hoberman starts out by calling Cronenberg:

...the most provocative, original, and consistently excellent North American director of his generation.

This is, of course, totally subjective, but in some regards I suppose Cronenberg's efforts have been weirdly incongruent, and yet, critically acclaimed. But it wasn't Hoberman's generous compliment that made me respect the movie more. It was his adulation for Cronenberg’s style and technique that ignited a curious spark.

... Eastern Promises features Cronenberg's most unambiguous monster and straightforward narrative in years; the movie is a cosmic struggle between good and evil.

I mean, come on. If that doesn’t sound engaging, then I should probably just give up right now. Anytime the words “straightforward” and “cosmic” are used in the same sentence, there needs to be some level of artistry in the product. I’m not quite sure what the most enticing aspect of the movie is for me. I guess I’m most looking forward to the suspense factor which is achieved (I’m assuming) through the integration of teenage prostitution, a diary in a foreign language, a meddling mid-wife and, more importantly, Cronenberg’s unique means of how to present the Why? and How? without manipulating and exaggerating the Who? What? and Where? . Hoberman and I agree on this point but he mentions another Cronenbergian factor that is an acute observation and solidifies my faith in Hoberman.

[In]…usual…Cronenberg, the ordinary is severely contested terrain. (In a new scholarly treatment of the director, Mark Browning notes that nearly all of Cronenberg's post-1982 movies are designed to "problematize exactly what constitutes 'normality.')

Naked Lunch, to me, was probably the most applicable to Mark Browning’s statement (even if the book was messed up to begin with), but nonetheless, Eastern Promises seems to be accurately labeled by Hoberman.
I may have to wait to see the film to be able to comment on whether or not Hoberman was a resourceful critic for my interest in Eastern Promises, but I think over all his explanations and impressions are legitimate. Hopefully I can make time from my busy schedule to get my Eastern-organized-crime-action/thriller-meets-the-natural-struggle-between-benevolence-and-malevolence fix.

Genesis

Salutations!
I'm excited to explore the magical world of film.
Stay tuned for more in-depth opinions and analyses of cinematic adventures.