A Most Violent Year

You know that saying "There are eight million stories in the naked city and this is just one"? Well J.C. Chandor, director of Robert Redford's All Is Lost, focuses on one of the stories from the most violent year on record for New York City and in the process gives you a very real look into how the city basically turned into the Wild West in 1981.

When I saw the title and the trailer for this movie, I was expecting Mean Streets Part 2 but in the end all I got was a mean look from my idiot friend when the final credits started rolling. He turned to me with a frown and said "Jessica Chastain should have taken a gun to that script and put it out of its misery before they started filming". And with that one statement he almost changed my entire view of the film; he was of course referencing one of the few tense moments in the movie.

Chandor focuses on the ambitious immigrant Abel Morales(Oscar Isaac) and his fight to keep his business in tact and his family safe. He started out as a driver himself but in a matter of a few years became the owner of his own oil and gas distribution company. The problem is he's so good at what he does and even better at selling his product that he's slowly putting his competitors out of business. So someone starts attacking his drivers and stealing his oil while at the same time threatening his family by sending goons to his house in an attempt to push him out.

Abel tries his best to deal with it in a civil manner and not resort to gangster tactics but as the violence increases and the pressure mounts from his wife to do something, he finds it harder and harder to not do whatever it takes to preserve the life he's made for himself.

Isaac gives an awe-inspiring performance playing the burdened Abel as it feel as though you are literally watching a young Al Pacino at work. He at times seems to mimic the overall demeanor of a young Michael Corleone as he is struggling with staying on the straight and narrow while adjusting the rough culture he is now a part of. I just wish they had given him more confrontations to deal with besides the back and forth you see with him and the district attorney Lawrence who is played by the now omnipresent David Oyelowo.

Abel's wife Anna is played wonderfully by the talented Jessica Chastain. a jewel in Hollywood who never seems to disappoint. She adds life to the story whenever it seems to trail off into the abyss of the mundane and trust me when I say there are plenty of these moments.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I loved how deep into this particular story you are taken and how Chandor was able to give you a feel for all of the desperate violence that was taking place in the city without glorifying it or going over the top with an orgy of violent scenes. Actually, I love an orgy of violent scenes, what am I talking about???

This movie moves really slow at times, so it's definitely not for everyone but I rate it as FRESH!