Once the summer movie season ends the film-going audience is often left waiting months to see any high profile releases worth paying attention to. This year appears to be different with a number of films being released that are generating a strong buzz as being among the best of the year, a trend which “Eastern Promises” falls under.

The story follows a Russian mobster (Mortensen) who decides to protect a midwife who accidentally discovers some evidence against a crime family when a young girl dies under her care.

The film is directed by David Cronenberg, who is quite possibly the most under-appreciated director of the last fifty years. He has always brought a visual intensity to any movie he touches and always manages to get the most out of whatever he may be working with, though he has never been able to rise above a cult status and into the main stream.

Cronenberg is not the only thing going for “Eastern Promises”; it also has a strong cast aside from its stars including Vincent Cassel (“Ocean’s 12 ‘ 13”) and Armin Mueller-Stahl (“The Game”). Both of these actors have had long standing careers outside of the United States, but not until recently have they become more recognizable in our local Cineplex’s.

One would be hard-pressed to find anything that may be this films’ down point, with strong casting, a great director, and penned by one of the better screenwriters working today, it will be colossally disappointing if it is anything shy of great.

Early Grade: A+

Director: David Cronenberg (“A History of Violence”)

Starring: Viggo Mortensen (“Lord of the Rings”) and Naomi Watts (“King Kong”)

Release Date: September 14th