Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, Elyes Gabel
A Most Violent Year
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rating: 3/5
It was back in 2013 when J.C. Chandor make a splash with All Is Lost and now he is back as writer and director of A Most Violent Year. He is a filmmaker that is on the rise and this project will see his star rise even further.
Set during the winter of 1981 - statistically one of the most crime-ridden of New York City's history - A Most Violent Year is a drama following the lives of an immigrant and his family as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.
A Most Violent Year is a movie that I had been looking forward to for some time, not only was Chandor back in the director's chair, but Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac had teamed up on the cast list. However, this is a movie that didn't quite have me raving as much as I would have liked.
This is a movie that is dripping with realism and you really do get the feel that this was an incredibly difficult time to do business. This is an incredibly interesting take on the American Dream, as we follow a man who is determined to stand by what he believes in to make his business a success.
However, if you are expecting a gangster movie that has bodies dropping like flies, then you are going to be disappointed - a Martin Scorsese gangster movie this is not. But that is what I did like so much about it. Instead, Chandor has delivered a character driven film that focuses on the story and relationships between the central characters.
Oscar Isaac is an actor who has a very busy 2015 ahead of him, and he delivers another performance that will only cement him as a major leading man. He and Jessica Chastain make the perfect pair and this is a very powerful performance from the Oscar nominated actress.
While Isaac's character is about diplomacy, Chastain's character has more fire about her and she is more than a match for the men that she comes face to face for. It is a stylish and formidable performance from Chastain - an actress that I just love.
Having said all of this, A Most Violent Year is a movie that really didn't grip me and I found the pace of the story to be a little slow moving from my liking. There is no denying that Chandor knows how to craft a story, but it was just lacking a major punch for me. However, this is a movie that does manage to swerve all of the clichés and pitfalls that come with this genre.
However Chandor has brought together a cast that is on top form, and he has depicted a rather bleak New York so beautifully - some of the cinematography in the film really is stunning.
While A Most Violent Year didn't live up to my lofty expectations, it is great to see Chandor back in the director's chair and delivering something that is different to his other film projects.