You would think that Eastern Promises – a movie with the same director (David Cronenberg, The Fly), the same lead actor (Viggo Mortensen, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy) and the same theme (gangsters and the mob) as 2005’s critically acclaimed thriller, A History of Violence – would seem rather familiar. Well, think again.

With A History of Violence, Cronenberg took viewers to a small town all shaken after a mob hit. But this time, the Canadian director flies us overseas to London, where several seemingly disparate events unravel, combine and spark.

Anna (Naomi Watts, The Painted Veil) is a midwife at a Northern London hospital who delivers a newborn to a nameless Russian woman, who dies in childbirth. Thanks to a diary found on the mother’s body, Anna inquires into her history and searches for a family to contact. But Anna doesn’t know the Russian translator she finds to help her with the diary is actually a boss for a Russian mafia syndicate in London, and after she learns this, a suspenseful, dark story unfolds as Cronenberg explores connections between Anna and the Russian mafia that neither party may have known existed.

Simply put, Eastern Promises is brilliant, as Cronenberg smartly stretches Mortensen and Watts to the entire range of their acting talent.

Mortensen’s character, Nikolai, is a charismatic driver for the mob – an anti-hero who climbs the mafia ladder in order to rule it (for one purpose or another). As Anna, Watts holds her own, and may secretly even have some potentially dangerous motives of her own. And thanks to sublime character development, you actually care about what happens to Nikolai and Anna – for better or for worse.

This ability for depth, and the balance among presumed “good” and “bad” characters, is one of several gifts Cronenberg has as a director. His films prove that, just as in real life, there are no absolutes – and this genuineness makes Eastern Promises even more enjoyably multidimensional.

And just like A History of Violence, one of the best features of Eastern Promises is Cronenberg’s stark, matter-of-fact take on violence. Don’t expect any slow-motion, Matrix-style martial arts; the action and violence here is untouched by special effects or trigger-happy Hollywood stunt coordinators. Instead, expect grit and realism, and try not to sweat in the now-famous “sauna scene” (pun intended).

With Eastern Promises, Cronenberg again proves himself a professional of his craft; he is one of the most consistent directors in Hollywood because he knows exactly how he wants his movie to look and feel. The cast backs up Cronenberg’s vision and offers tons of depth (watch for Vincent Cassel of Ocean’s Thirteen, who gives a particularly tremendous performance), helping Eastern Promises transform into a dark and provocative film. Maybe the mob does have something good going for it, after all.

diversions@dbk.umd.edu