MovieChat Forums > Eastern Promises (2007) Discussion > Very unbelievable plot (spoilers)

Very unbelievable plot (spoilers)

posted 14 years ago by tkurylo
41 replies | jump to latest

I hate when characters in movies act overtly stupid or unrealistic and this is the case with this movie.

First, Anna is supposedly a typical naive young woman. The movie mentions that she understands that the dead girl is likely an underage prostitute, i.e. sex with her is an act of statutory rape. The girl's diary can help police establish people who pimped her or had sex with her. Nevertheless, she deliberately steals the diary withholding this important evidence from police, committing a criminal act. The way she's portrayed in the movie doesn't imply she would commit this crime.

Second, Anna finds a business card in the diary. She approaches the owner of the restaurant that appears on the card and asks him to to translate the diary. It's very stupid and unrealistic. Any person with the slightest intellect would understand that this business is very likely somehow responsible for pimping the girl.

And third, when Anna reproached mafiozi for what they have been doing, asked them if they're not ashamed, that was just lame. I don't believe real people can be so dumb. If she were a real person, she would qualify for Darwin award (probably posthumously).

There are a few other stupid moments, mostly about Anna. I actually found her character very annoying and wished she died in the movie.

The rest of the movie was OK and I enjoyed the fight scene, one of the best I've seen in a Hollywood movie.

[–] artnaz 9 years ago

You clearly cannot imagine what a mother's instinct does to a woman.

Yes, she was naive when she went to Semyon, told him everything, and brought him the diary to translate. Then again, she was just very into the history of "her daughter". I agree I wouldn't have acted the same way as she did (saying behind a computer), but I can surely imagine that a woman could act like Anna did.

[–] serenity159 9 years ago

Second, Anna finds a business card in the diary. She approaches the owner of the restaurant that appears on the card and asks him to to translate the diary. It's very stupid and unrealistic. Any person with the slightest intellect would understand that this business is very likely somehow responsible for pimping the girl.

She didn't ask him to translate, he insisted. She went to him only to find baby's relatives so she isn't taken into social care. Which would be the case if she had gone to police.

Sometimes people think the movie is dumb when infact its the other way around.

~Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes~

[–] wrightinchicago 9 years ago

This was a very engaging and believable movie for me. I don't see it's flaws the way you do.

[–] Milkyway123 9 years ago

Just saw it now and was about to make the same post!

Unbeliveably stupid character! That's a sign of a weak writer. Meaning: you write the character stupid because that is the only way you can think of moving the story forward.

Don't forget how Anna constantly let slip important dangerous information, examples:
- "It's ok I have her diary", she says to the mobster. And he changes his tune and aks "where do you live?". By now it's clear that he could at least be dangerous. And yet she reveals during next visit that her russian uncle will translate the diary full of secrets.

- she reveals name, work-place and address despite all the warnings of her uncle and a strange first meeting with the old mobster

- she reveals where she lives when her bike dies (although they can always google it, but apparently that didn't exist in their world)

- a bit in to the film it's made clear to her that these people are dangerous. If that wasn't enough her uncles says it explicitly. Yet she still acts ignorant.

- she reveals that all she cares about is the baby. Good job letting the bad man know that! On top of it, I don't know if this is before or after the old mobster threatens the baby (she tells her mother about this "hunch").

- she doesn't hand over the diary to the police in the first place - despite she could've extracted the info she wanted about the baby's lineage. Not even when it becomes clear that a crime had been committed and that the diary carries information about the perpetrator.

- Viggo asks about her uncle and where she lives. She doesn't ask why he wants to know. And that was that. Never worrying or warning the uncle. Later on when he disappears for days, she STILL doesn't worry, call the police or even get emotional about it.

- she confronts Viggo and son about how morally corrupt they were. Smart. She has read about a cold blooded rape done by monsters with no morals whatsoever, and the thing to do is confront them about it and reveal she knows? Gee whiz! And still no police involvement?! This was the last straw for me!

- lastly, so she has revealed to Viggo and son that the old mobster is the baby's father. Later on Viggo schemes to have the mobster arrested because of rape. This is Viggo's stupid moment, for being so intelligent he forgets the most basic thing: baby is evidence= baby is dead.

Otherwise a good film! I hope they make a sequel and skip Watts' character completely.

[–] upside_down_frown 8 years ago

Aren't all Darwin awards posthumous?

I did think "why the hell would you do that?" in regards to Anna several times throughout the movie, but the other supporting characters were enough for me to enjoy it overall.

[–] fede_4488 8 years ago

It's called "suspension of disbelief". None of this ruined this great movie for me.

If I don't reply, you're most likely on my ignore list

[–] Irish_Pete 8 years ago

In the UK- the film is set in London after all- the term 'statutory rape' is only applied to sex with children under the age of 13. The age of consent is 16, but consensual sexual activity with a child between the ages of 13 and 16 is regarded as 'sexual activity with a child' and is a different offence.

So it's possible, in the UK, for someone to be under-age, but for sex with them not to constitute statutory rape.

If it was proven that the girl was a prostitute and that there had been coercion involved, then it would be prosecuted.

[–] noveltylibrary65 (200) 5 years ago

I blame Naomi Watts, she's always disappointing to me. She doesn't act conflicted enough to make these things at least believable to watch.