A Most Violent Year (2014): In New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.
What a marvelous piece of cinema. You know, I kind of feel bad, because I am going to be comparing this movie to American Sniper throughout the review. Which is unfair to this movie. But this....this is what American Sniper should have been. A Most Violent Year deals with several (very) adult themes throughout its 125 minute runtime. It also brings up several (very) adult dilemmas during this time. And you know what else? It brings up several of these themes....simultaneously. WHOA. This movie has the audacity to think that a moviegoer doesn't have to be spoon fed events in order to follow them and understand what is going on! What nerve, right? The movie wastes no time throwing you right into the middle of the story, and you are left expected to figure out what is going on on your own without any exposition or anything to explain it. You just have to pick up on some throwaway lines to get the backstory you need on these characters. More movies need to be filmed like this. (I was obviously being sarcastic before when I used the word audacity.)
Oscar. Isaac. And. Jessica. Chastain. And! David Oyelowo. (It's crazy to watch Selma and see Oyelowo as MLK then to watch how different he is here. Really makes you realize just how snubbed he was for that performance.) It's a shame that history will only remember Chastain's performance in Interstellar from this year. Because she is freaking great in this. Faaaaar better than she was in Interstellar. The same goes to Oscar Isaac. I was kind of on the Oscar Isaac bandwagon after watching Inside Llewyn Davis in 2013, however now I am squarely in the middle of it. Oscar Isaac is one of Hollywood's most underrated actors, and we'll have to wait until Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Isaac to be thrusted into Hollywood's mainstream pool. But don't worry guys. He will be. He has a knack for not only being completely absorbed into his character, but to also keep his character very grounded and humanized. Actually, this is something this whole movie did better than virtually any other movie I've seen this year.
The strong point of A Most Violent Year, without a doubt, is how human its characters are. These characters are grounded, and incredibly relatable to. There's no stereotypical greased-up Italian guy who's the mafia gangster. There's none of that. All of these characters are driven, and you can understand why they fight the way they do, but there is a certain amount of humanization with them that makes you connect with them. Particularly with Oscar Isaac. As a result I found myself rooting like hell for Oscar Isaac's character throughout this movie. I also loved the set design. This movie is set in 1981, and it does a phenomenal job of creating a set worthy of the time period. From fashion scarfs to boxy cars, this movie is the pinnacle of what a period piece should be. I also really enjoyed the fact that, even though it is a gangster film, it's not. Does that make any sense? No? Well, even though the companies dealt with here are heating companies, (including Oscar Isaac's) there is a certain amount of gangster-ness with them and how they do business. And yet....despite this gangster-ness, there's a very restrained aspect to them that you would not expect from gangsters. Here's an example that doesn't really have to do with the overall plot. At one point there is a "big" shootout with a few people on a bridge, and you can tell immediately as soon as shots are fired that these guys are terrified that they are having a shootout in a public place. This isn't a stereotypical gangster movie where the one guy kills the other guy in plain sight and no one notices! This is a scene where all parties involved, both attacking and defending, are terrified because they know that their shots they're taking at each other....well, they don't know where they're going! It adds an incredible amount of realism to the flick. Something that American Sniper forgot to do as our hero kills massive amounts of bad guys without rhyme or reason in the third act.
While I do love this movie, there are a few flaws. For example, there's some funky business going on with the lighting. While the movie is well shot from a cinematography perspective, the movie had a certain darkness to it from start to finish, which made the movie very (and I can't believe I'm about to say this in 2015) hard to see at points. I also wanted more. Which is almost a good problem, but still. There were a couple very interesting things that were mentioned in passing throughout the movie that was never followed up on later on that I would've liked to have seen. (Trying to say this without spoiling, guys.) But these are minor complaints. Just keep in mind one last thing: this movie is very much for adults. The themes introduced here of winning at all costs (among many others) are not for children. You do not want them identifying with Oscar Isaac's character. Do not. Even think about. Showing your kids this movie. But this would make for a phenomenal date movie for an adult couple who does not like stereotypical romance movies. You will not be disappointed.
The Critique: Another great installment from J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, All is Lost) and budding stars Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Jessica Chastain. (Interstellar, Zero Dark Thirty) Phenomenal human performances makes it one of the grittier movies of the year.
The Recommendation: A great movie for adults. (No kids please) Especially that middle-age couple who wants to have a date night but not watch Ghost or something. Yes. Ghost.
Rewatchability: Moderately High
The Verdict: 8.5/10 Almost Awesome
Photo Credit
http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2014/05/06/A-Most-Violent-Year_612x380.jpg
