Mar 10 2009
Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts, Eastern Promises — Part V
Here we continue the story of Anna (Naomi Watts) and Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), directly from Part IV. Nikolai hands Anna the information she requested about the baby’s mother. She’s careful this time to avoid letting him touch her.
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I love Viggo’s work in this film. His Nikolai is so stoic, keeping up the solid appearance, while underneath there is simmering emotion. Even when he tries to maintain a benign expression around Anna, you can see the struggle. Every expression he does make seems under duress. He doesn’t want the facade to slip, but it does.
Anna asks Nikolai if he’s read the diary.
He doesn’t answer, but she can see that he has.
When she asks why he came, he says he was “Just passing.”
Anna’s expressions are often as much of a struggle as his. On more than one occasion, Nikolai wins a smile from her, but she always quickly shifts it to skepticism or exasperation.
And then Nikolai asks too many questions about her uncle, and where he lives, and her eyes suddenly grow cold.
It’s a tiny but important moment, as we see the pain in his eyes. He gives a small nod of acknowledgement, knowing exactly why she won’t answer him.
He takes his leave, telling her he’s fixed her motorcycle, and Anna watches him walk away. There’s a feeling of ominous danger about him, the way he swaggers in his dark coat, fists clenched inside his black leather gloves.
Anna still doesn’t know what to make of him.
I hope you enjoyed this study of Viggo’s and Naomi’s performances in Eastern Promises. There will probably be more of these two in future entries, so keep an eye on the Shrine!
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Naomi Watts Anna and Viggo Mortensen Nikolai Eastern Promises screencaps, c2007 Serendipity Point Films, Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
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*CLICK* the pics to buy low-priced Eastern Promises DVD, Blu-Ray, and soundtrack from NBC Universal and Buy.com :
