Mystery & thriller, Video: Jessica Chastain Talks Lady Macbeth & Heating Oil. It's 1981 NYC, and it's not American Hustle. Not for the Fast n' Furious Crowd, A gritty, atmospheric throwback crime thriller with its cast in top form. and the Thematically, the director J.C. Chandor is very interested in the morality of doing business and the fine line between "accepted practice" and gangsterism. Jessica Chastain is unpredictable. Oscar Isaac plays the hero, Abel Morales, who runs a heat oil company that he took over from his father-in-law. Also making it clear what our main character has to deal with. Genre: Action, Crime, Drama Director: J.C. Chandor The film follows the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built. An excellent drama. : Everything from the shot choices to the hazy color correction suggests a calculation that is necessary in a murky, uncertain situation, and the tension that builds up in certain scenes, as well as over the course of the film, is palpable. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Chandor (All is Lost) is one of the more prolific young directors working. His wife suddenly reveals a gun she purchases for her protection, of which he strongly disagrees. Overall, A Most Violent Year is a slow burning crime thriller that is seeping with great performances and a brilliant script. Parents need to know that A Most Violent Year lives up to its name, with several brutal beatings. At the end of the day, this was a really really solid crime thriller. Philadelphia has been having a brutal 2022. Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2022, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2018. "A Most Violent Year," which cost just under $20 million, is a far cry from the $3.4 million Mr. Chandor had to make "Margin Call." But his next film will dwarf anything he's done before. : Despite this premise, the crime-action is more a successfully imminent background thought than a constant in-your- face presence. Abel goes every where to get loans as the closure time nears. Abel Morales is a businessman who tries to do everything honestly. Well take a look and remove the review if it doesnt follow our guidelines. Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA: Season 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, Link to Christian Slater and Jonathan Kasdan Talk. Most of the complaints I've seen being leveled against this film from some of the recent reviews here say something about it being too slow, or boring, not enough action, etc. It's quite good, for what it is. Oscar Isaac stars in this searing crime thriller set in 1981 New York City. A Most Violent Year [Blu-ray + Digital HD]. A Most Violent Year is a 2014 action crime drama directed by J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier).The story is set in New York in 1981, the most violent year in the city's history and focuses on the struggles of Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) and his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) in the management of their heating oil business.Under investigation by the city for shady business practices, Abel is put . Though Chandors movies have varied wildly by topic, they have all concerned themselves with men struggling to maintain control in the midst of chaos. Casting Net: Julianne Nicholson to play Ethan Hawke's ex-wife. In 1981 New York, a fuel supplier (Oscar Isaac) tries to adhere to his own moral compass amid the rampant violence, corruption and decay that threaten his family and his business. A Most Violent Year Featurette - Behind the Fashion by J.C. Chandor and starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo. Soon Abel's shipping-terminal deal is endangered. 'Empire Of Light' Is A Love Letter To Sam Mendes Heroic Mother, 'The Menu' Was Inspired By A Thrilling Private Island Experience, Rihanna Shares Video Of 'Black Panther 2' Filmmakers' First Reaction To Lift Me Up, Channing Tatum Wants To Remake This Iconic '90s Film, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Opening scene; Abel Morales is jogging through the streets of New York. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Read full review. He's Pacino without the edge. Fine movie, bad ending, look for a sequel. List of Songs. A Most Violent Year is set in the most brutal year in the city's history, when Mayor Koch and the DA would not like it to be so. Movie had a lot of action! Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Objectively speaking, they might be partially right, but that doesn't make this film objectively bad. But I found the film riveting: excellent plotting, great writing and superb performances. His much-praised 2001 investment banking drama Margin Call featured some crackling dialogue and a lot of impressive talent for a $3.5 million film (Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany). Still, it was a very interesting character study that was able to maintain an excellent level of tension throughout its 2-hour running time. This movie is just ok to me though, I felt like it was just missing something. , Product Dimensions , Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015. He now lands a deal to purchase a bay-front storage facility that will increase the business greatly. Although in terms of a quality crime drama with real refinement in-front and behind the camera then look no further. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR will probably not be to everyone's taste, particularly those who want something with higher stakes or a more high-octane feel to it, but for people who appreciate a moody, character-driven drama this should do just fine. Oscar Isaac has been extremely good in previous rolesfor instance, as a likable ex-con in Drive and as an unlikable folk singer in Inside Llewyn Davisbut he is an utter revelation as Abel, the quiet power of his performance recalling early Pacino. The movie is so funereal that at times it plays like a memorial service, not just for a particular kind of American drama, but for the male heroes who populated them: a snapshot of one of the last cultural moments when American men could be Men, in that old fashioned, two-fisted, furrowed-brow-and-whispered-threats sort of way. Chastain was sound, but a bit underused; and that is never a good thing when we are talking about one of the greatest, if not the greatest, actress working today. 1. In 1981 New York City, Abel Morales, from an immigrant background, is trying to live the American Dream on his own moral terms. Jessica Chastain co-stars as Anna Morales, Abel's wife who is pretty much the boss of that relationship, and she is the mother f*cker who runs that place. Starring: Oscar Isaac Jessica Chastain David Oyelowo Alessandro Nivola Albert Brooks. Back in the day - 70 years ago but who's counting - they collaborated on a modest 'B' picture entitled Curse Of The Cat People in which they racked up the tension but stopped short of actually showing any big cats attacking people. The hero, despite a certain reticence about selling what's left of his soul, soon figures out that to get ahead in this world, you have to be cold and calculating, and divest yourself of illusions. Me and the Blues (Blues #1) Ray Bryant. Coming Soon. Well made and well acted, just not very engaging. This was spoken during the shoot and the newer figure changed in post-production. , Item model number A Most Violent Year marks J.C. Chandor's directorial return to form in this gritty thriller telling the tale of a man constantly pressured by the elements of his surroundings. Nearly 50 people were murdered in Raleigh in 2022 the highest number reported since the city began reporting its violent crime data almost 30 years ago, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said in a press conference last week.. Why it matters: The increase in homicides more than 50% occurred late last year compared to the final months of 2021 reflects a broader trend of rising . The yellows and browns of Bradford Youngs elegant cinematography also conjure the era, while the score, by Alex Ebert, is subtle yet unsettling. Still, overall satisfying and well done. But I was wrong. J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year is almost lyrical in its beauty, exuding a sepia-toned environment that captures essence rather than exploiting nostalgia of the time period. As if that's not enough pressure, Abel's company is under pressure from competitors. Oh, boy, is it that kind of movie. Why? , Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Producers Chastain is excellent as Abels hot-headed, mobbed-up wife, Anna (a nice inversion of the customary cinematic trope), and Brooksalmost unrecognizable under a mop of flat, gray hairgives perhaps the most wonderfully understated performance of his career. It feels as if Chandor wrote the screenplay for these two and it really pays off, especially for Jessica Chastain, who is unbelievably good playing a manipulative Shakespearean femme fatale. The reason for the film's title is that 1981 was considered New York City's most violent year on record. While backing him up brilliantly is Jessica Chastain as his glamorous, tough, yet fully supportive wife. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR feels slow-paced at times and there isn't much action, although some of the set-pieces which do occur are very explosive. It's a fantastic period piece that creates an authentic, distinct look at 1980s New York, while tonally replicating films from that era. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, Christian Slater and Jonathan Kasdan Talk Willow Finale, Allagashs Possible Survival, and Potential Season 2 Stories, Everything We Know About The Mandalorian Season 3. Anna's father and most if not all of Abel's major competitors were and are corrupt. The bulk of this is conveyed in dialogue as opposed to action and the writer is served brilliantly by the leading actors not least Jessica Chastain. Technically,one of the last movies released in 2014 on the year's final day, just in time for award season, cause it's that type of movie to impress awarders. The story is set in 1981 New York, presumably because that particular year was one of the most violent. It is an organized crime film, or a family drama, or a big city nightmare, or all three things at once. Those films were intelligent and promising, but "A Most Violent Year" is of a whole other order, an inspired work of many moving parts, all working and building and converging. His first film, Margin Call, offered by far the sharpest cinematic take on the financial crash; his second, All Is Lost, which found Robert Redford alone and (literally) adrift, was a meticulous exercise in narrative concision. A Most Violent Year (2,690) 7.0 2 h 4 min 2015 X-Ray R A thriller set in NYC during 1981, the film follows the lives of an immigrant (Oscar Isaac) and his family trying to expand their business as the rampant violence and corruption drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built. Great movie. Style and substance replace noisy, quick-cut editing and chaotic noise. Many favour a date in or around 4 BC, and for the sake of argument let us take that as accurate. By Overall I found the acting OK and the cinematography pretty decent but that's about all I liked about this one. Gray's "Godfather II" inspired "The Immigrant" is also excellent, and likewise steeped in post-Vietnam America's cinema traditions, although it's gentler, told from a female perspective, and set more deeply in the past. Shootings . Remarkably, it was caused by a volcano that lies . To opt out of the sale of your name, email address and other associated personal information, please submit the below Opt-Out Form. This is, The film's title refers to an actual, statistical designation: 1981 was the most violent year in New York City history up till that point, with1,841 homicides (the number climbed through 1991 before starting to level off). J.C. Chandor's screenplay and film is a very slow burn that tells a story of the seedy underbelly of competing heating oil suppliers in 1981 New York City. Why do you want it so much? Brookss character asks at one point. A Most Violent Year (2014) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by J.C. Chandor Writing Credits J.C. Chandor . He has been building his business of fuel distribution to quite a big position. 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. Worse, somebody's started hijacking his trucks: this happens in the opening sequence as he and his lawyer, Andrew (Albert Brooks, sly and smart and nearly unrecognizable, as is often the case these days), are delivering the down payment. : So it is here, gangster warfare constantly on the edge of the frame but never quite breaking through the glass fence. It is a portrait of a time and place: (New York City, 1981); of an industry beset by corruption and violence (the home-heating-fuel business); and of a man, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), pushing relentlessly to succeed in that industry despite the pressure mounting from all sides. A Most Violent Year is a strong, character-driven drama that's lifted infinitely by terrific lead performances by Oscar Isaacs and Jessica Chastain, inflating what could have been a tiresome, trite look at one man versus the world in an unkind city. AKA: Jc3, Untitled J.C. Chandor Project. "A Most Violent Year," a 1981 New York period piece written and directed by J.C. Chandor ("All is Lost," "Margin Call"), is that kind of movie. This was a fascinating character study of an "honorable man" trying to retain his honor in a corrupt business and political environment. If You Want a Marriage of Equals, Then Date as Equals, How People Came to Believe Blueberries Are the Healthiest Fruit. The film tells the story of the Morales family as they struggle to maintain their business empire during 1981 New York City, which is statistically the city's most crime ridden year. Written and directed by J.C. Chandor. Format : Widescreen, Blu-ray. The film stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain with Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. For some it might feel like the biggest drag and one of the most boring movies they've seen. Dont worry, it wont take long. (David Oyelowo of "Selma") is riding him like an old dray horse. As the movie opens, Abel and his attorney (Albert Brooks) are on the verge of taking things to another level altogether, making a cash down payment on a port facility that would enable him to store and move fuel on a vastly larger scale. The lack of violence actually engages us in a greater human story about a man with the will to succeed at any costs. . Colombian-born but thoroughly Americanized, Abel got his start as a truck driver for a small-time, mobbed-up boss. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in "A Most Violent Year" Atsushi Nishijima/ A24 Films. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain star in this drama. Directors J.C. Chandor Starring We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. In 1981 there were over 136,000 vehicle thefts. Abel Morales: When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump, otherwise you end up staying in the same place your whole life, and that I can't do. : By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. This is a movie I often don't recommend to any of my friends because I truly feel it takes someone with a certain level of appreciation for film and the patience to watch this plot unfold. Marvin Gaye wails in the background, Make me wanna holler, the way they do my life . The year is 1981, already one of the most violent on record in New York City history. , Actors But she's also a borderline Lady Macbeth figure who often chides her husband for not being as hard as he should be, because this is a hard, shadowy world, and these are mean streets. The industry that is showcased here is the oil truck corporation. With 30 days to secure the $1.5 million he needs to close the deal, Abel appears to be fulfilling his ambitions. The look and performances carry it. The film is crisp, clean and very digitized considering the time period we're supposed to be set in. , Number of discs Privacy Policy They never really came to a head. The premise of a young up and coming man with ambition making it in the fuel industry with his beautiful wife and two (2) children after just moving into their dream home and in a tony neighborhood is turned upside down rather quickly in the cut throat business he has chosen. Probably a third of the tale occurs during conversations between scowling men seated across tables in dimly-lit rooms. Jessica Chastain also turns in an icy, but sexy performance as Isaac's money & power hungry wife. Terms and Policies We just know that he's scrambling to put this deal together and only has a month to do it, and that his wife Anna (, is an honest man, don't mistake his honesty for weakness," she tells another character), as well as a wily bookkeeper. Now here comes A Most Violent Year, with its tale of an immigrant hustler who wants to bring heating oil to the suburbs. The film follows the immigrant owner of a heating-oil company, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), and his wife, Anna (Jessica Chastain). Well, it turns out, the answer isn't exactly straightforward. : A man is jogging on city streets, accelerating as he pushes himself to the limit. Just looking at this one situation of a family business dealing with crime and corruption, it's easy to imagine other similar situations taking places across the city. The hero, despite a certain reticence about selling what's left of his soul, soon figures out that to get ahead in this world, you have to be cold and calculating, and divest yourself of illusions. Abel has to scramble to get the money for the terminal before he loses his deposit. On the technical side, Bluray picture was pretty good, nice and sharp on a big cinema screen. "A Most Violent Year," chronicling 1981, when New York City's crime rate had reached an all time high, is so unlike anything Hollywood is churning out these days. What is the streaming release date of A Most Violent Year (2014) in India? In fact, it's far from it. However, that is not exactly the case here. 'A Most Violent Year' sets release date, joins Oscar race. See production, box office & company info. Probably a third of the tale occurs during conversations between scowling men seated across tables in dimly-lit rooms. Coming Soon, Regal I can imagine that some people may have been disappointed that this wasn't a bloodbath like Scarface, but I actually liked this film. But when done it is realistic and dramatic. One of the best crime dramas I've seen for a long time. It's set in 1981,. He hasn't quite managed it yet. While Hustle sets the scene with humor and style, Violent is happy to understate lawlessness and concentrate on the dialogue, which has undercurrents of corruption in each syllable. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Coming Soon. 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Ok and the cinematography pretty decent but that does a most violent year make this film objectively bad one.