Yes, I think it's fair to say a new horizon from which we can appreciate this fabulous director is the best way to sum it up. Unfortunately, I've talked to others who would prefer an old school Cronenberg despite noticing these subtleties you pointed out, which leads me to my next point.

Well, I tend to prefer Cronenberg's elder films as well ("Videodrome" is probably my personal favourite - but also 2002's "Spider") because in my opinion, "Eastern Promises" is sometimes a bit too plain, let's say, apparently. It's still quite subtle, but the intangible (hopefully, that's the right word), unconscious, "disembodied" things that were given more space in his early works, has now decreased a bit. It all seems a bit more "conscious" and material (less spiritual and esoteric) which can be interpreted both as a fortune or a disadvantage (I'm somewhere in between).

There's a significant scene at the end that I think drove home the point of corruption (of the more profound sort, I'd imagine) a bit too far into the ground.

Yes, I think, I understand what you mean. That was a bit awkward.

I might have to agree with you there, though I was not really bothered by it as I watched the film but only when thinking back about the inpetuses driving the characters.

Me neither, it was more an aftertaste that came up when I started to write a review (yes, unfortunately in German again).

@ arsaib & Justin:

Of course, I won't participate in your personal argument.