As I sunk into the chaise longue on Saturday night after my 25 mile cycle ride, Viggo Mortensen shone out of the flickering box. His sharp suit, Russian prison tattoos, abrasive accent and quaffed hair provided suitable accoutrements for his role as an undercover agent. Eastern Promises is a tightly knitted film about rape, sex trafficking and mobsters. This steady paced thriller set on the mean streets of London, carries a fight scene which takes place inside a Turkish Baths in Finsbury Park - it's so severe I find myself hiding behind my hands (second time round). You can catch this film for free on BBC iplayer until Saturday, so if like me you're having a chilled Monday night in, this might be the ticket.
I'm going to crack open the mockumentary Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee which has received mixed reviews. I think it's important though to not listen to the critics too much and make up your own mind. I'm a sucker for the skills of Paddy Constantine - here's a little taster of his previous work...
Scene taken from A Room for Romeo Brass, which is definitely worth a look in, you should also check out, Last Resort. Produced in 2000 the story centers on Russian women claiming political asylum after finding herself stranded on UK soil, she and her son are sent to a forgotten seaside town which doubles as a detention centre.
