Review: A Most Violent Year

Director J.C. Chandor is back with another Oscar contender that seems to have got over-looked by many.
Last year, we had the enjoyable All Is Lost where Robert Redford was stranded at sea with next to no dialogue throughout.

Now we have a gritty thriller set in New York 1981 starring two actors that are becoming my favourites to watch, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain.

Being set in 1981 is crucial as statistics show this was the most crime ridden year in New York City ever. We see Isaac's character play an immigrant continue to have struggles with his oil business as hijackers begin taking his trucks full of oil and ruining his company's image.
Throughout the film we see interesting topics about the relationship Isaac has with the police, various mob bosses and his steely wife (played by Chastain).

We see an interesting contrast between Isaac's character, the family man and the business man. This is a character you can really respect. He is not afraid to do something that is frowned upon even though he is not a gangster or criminal, but that he protects something he cares about when he is pushed.

By far the best bits of this film is the moments between Isaac and Chastain. Both of them deliver amazing performances and they seem to stay consistent at a high level for anything they do recently. This also defies Chandor as a director that brings the best out of his cast. He seems to be more character driven then ideas within the story.
Chastain really delivers as the manipulative wife. After seeing this, you have to get excited for anything she will do in the future.

One thing I like about this film is the realistic setting with the help of the cinematography. It really shows a 1970's-esque grit that echoes to films such as Mean Streets, Serpico and The French Connection in one scene in particular.

However, one thing that the film is not is violent. Despite the title, there are very few scenes of violence. A lot of people will find it misleading and I am one of them. I was expecting something that was hinting towards Scorsese, but it seems that this is not Chandor's style.
It seems he is more about the characters. So if it is entertainment you are after, then I would give this a miss.

Overall, this a slow-burning crime thriller that did not quite work for me. There are some good slow-burners out there, however this one for me felt decent at best.
It is oozing with great performances and has a wonderful setting with a brilliant script. For those like character driven films, this one is for you. I think this would do well in the theatre as a play.

Rating: 7/10