Oscar Isaac
Jessica Chastain
David Oyelowo
Alessandro Nivola
Albert Brooks
Elyes Gabel

J. C. Chandor

125 mins.
Action, Crime, Drama
December 31, 2014 (limited)

Rated R for language and some violence. (MPAA)

Writer-director-producer J.C. Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year” is a film that looks like it would fit somewhere in between “The Godfather” and FX’s “The Americans.” Some have compared this film to Sidney Lumet’s work, and that’s appropriate. Chandor is a fan of darker hues (check out “Margin Call” or even “All Is Lost”), and he and cinematographer Bradford Young (“Selma,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”) use them effectively. He also relishes a deliberate pace. Some may find his films too slow, but I appreciate his rhythms. He uses the darker shades and the slower pace to conjure an atmosphere of danger. The danger is subtle, though. It won’t scare you – it’ll make you feel a bit unsettled, instead.

In this film, Chandor takes his time building the story. Actually, the story doesn’t matter much; it could be about anything. What matters is that the characters are invested in what’s happening. It’s important to them. It’s not what they say that matters. No, what matters is how and why they say or don’t say it. There’s definitely a chill in the air.

One of Chandor’s gifts is casting. With the help of his casting directors, he puts the right actor in the right role. His style depends on that. This cast, including Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, and Albert Brooks, is a strong one. (Reportedly, after Javier Bardem pulled out of the film, Chastain wisely recommended Isaac, her friend and former Julliard classmate, for the lead role.) These actors get it. They listen and respond. They’re in full ownership of what they’re doing. Why can’t all acting be this way?

Isaac is wonderful as the owner of a heating oil company that’s under attack by an unknown competitor. But that’s not his only problem: His wife (Chastain) and a district attorney (Oyelowo) also threaten to ruin his chance to run his business according to his principles. Can he avoid the violence or must he succumb to it to keep things afloat?

Toward the middle of “A Most Violent Year,” some sparks begin to fly. But they aren’t used recklessly. There’s actually not much violence on display in this film. The threat of it is always there, though. Throughout this film, you get the sense that Chandor is in total control. Whatever you think of his work, he knows what he’s doing. And by the end of this, I was hooked.

Verdict: Very Good

About: (Source: amostviolentyear.com)

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a searing crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically the most dangerous year in the city’s history. From acclaimed writer/director J.C. Chandor, and starring Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY), this gripping story plays out within a maze of rampant political and industry corruption plaguing the streets of a city in decay. J.C. Chandor’s third feature examines one immigrant’s determined climb up a morally crooked ladder, where simmering rivalries and unprovoked attacks threaten his business, family, and––above all––his unwavering belief in the righteousness of his own path.