Another movie that almost got it but missed. A Russian teen dies during birth in London leaving a mysterious diary behind. A man gets murdered. The Russian mafia is involved. An uncle who could have solved the mystery early in the movie. All thinly related plot points. The first half of the movie does little to advance the plot. Naomi Watts' character does little in the second half. At times, it felt like a documentary on the inside of the Russian mafia (with plenty of scenes unrelated to the plot at hand.) And kudos to Viggo Mortensen for baring it all during the only exciting scene in the whole movie where he battles two assasins while in the nude at the public bath house (and yes, he does show it all.) A word of caution, beware if you don't like your movies with heavy accents; half the movie is spoken with a thick Russian accent (with some scenes with English subtitles.)

Acting was superb. Movie was far better than we ever expected. The twists and turns were excellent. The bath fight scene, however, was too graphic and brutal for my taste, although extremely realistic. The ending was just the way it should be. I'd recommend this movie to any adult who wants something to think about when they go home, as long as they can stomach the violence.

You know...I could go on and on about the complex and gripping plot and how fair Naomi Watts is in this picture, but you know what????....the bottom line for me was that Viggo is completely nekkid in a knife fight with 2 bad guys....the entire time I was holding my breath and in disbelief that I was witnessing Viggo's undercarriage in all it's natural glory! This is a fantastic movie!!!

Just got out of the screening at the Arclight Hollywood. First of all, if you are a fan for Mortensen and Watts, it's a "must go". Interesting plot and can't really say to much being that the movie is only 100 minutes long, and you will wish it was longer. It is the climax that brings the title to Life. Non the less, Mortensen plays a perfect role in his part and Watts, the caring health care worker that goes way beyond outside the hospital setting, plays an over the top patient advocate. Again, like I mentioned, these are great actors that really make this movie interesting and come alive. Worth watching and for the females, you'll get more than you bargained for from Mortensen:).... It beats Kevin Bacon in "Wild Things!!!!

Viggo Mortenson and David Cronenberg are fast forging an artistically impressive partnership in the league of John Wayne and John Ford, Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorcese. Mortenson dominates the screen with a magnetic presence, and eerily compelling stillness. Coupling nicely with Naomi Watt's reliably excellent performance, he presents a nuanced portrait of a man precariously poised between worlds and roles. He excellently underplays the tension simmering just below the surface. Cronenberg also does a masterful job of creating a tight, controlled thriller very much of and about its setting--for all of the overglamorous and pseudo-edgy portrayals of London, he delves into the substrata of a vibrant city to show its visceral and pulsating underworld as it collides with the working class existence of "normal, ordinary people."