There are many movies that chronicle cities in the midst of violent outbursts (Nightcrawler comes to mind) and there are also movies that chronicle men struggling with whether to engage in activities that might compromise with their morality. However, I can’t recall another film that so confidently blends the two as A Most Violent Year does. A movie that feels both in and of its time as well as a complete throwback, choosing the path that is most right means that you will make sure to seek out A Most Violent Year, a wonderfully tense and engaging film.
A Most Violent Year drops us into the year 1981 in New York City, a year so many crimes were committed the film was able to derive the title from it. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is an immigrant who has built his life up to be pretty great. He’s got a loving wife (Jessica Chastain) and family, a thriving business that’s set to expand, and has just moved into a new mansion. This tranquility is quickly upset as his trucks have been stolen and his drivers attacked at a rate that’s alarming enough to having the union boss suggesting that he let his drivers carry weapons. He’s also come under investigation from the NYC D.A. for his business practices and his competitors are eager to pounce on his territory. As the circle of corruption and violence swirl around him, Abel has to decide the type of actions he must take to gain the life he so desperately craves.
J.C. Chandor has been on an interesting trajectory in his short career and with A Most Violent Year he takes a big step. The bedrock of this movie is his vision of a city that’s just brimming with violence and characters that are forced to navigate difficult spaces. The movie is just tense as hell with every frame and every line of dialogue contributing to the atmosphere. What surprised me most was just how solid, yet unconventional this film can be. There are many moments that you expect the film to turn into The Godfather or any other great gangster movie, but Chandor resists all notions for easy stories or action, instead finding a way to make his characters feel authentic. He’s helped in creating these situations by a competent technical team led by DP Bradford Young, another rising star in the film world, whose shot compositions manage to homage the noir films of the past while still feeling fresh.
A Most Violent Year also has one of the more interesting ensembles to hit the screen, with everyone doing their part. The movie is of course led by the dynamic duo of Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, who play a 1981 version of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth if those two had slightly more ethical hubris. Any scene where these two are on screen (aka the whole film) is a delicious exercise in contrast. Chastain always impresses, but my love definitely went to Isaac for his relentless portrayal of a man trying to walk the most right path. He’s intense without overplaying it, which had to be a tough rope to walk. Threatening to snatch the screen from them are supporting actors Albert Brooks and Elyes Gabel, who present interesting ends of the spectrum of what Abel could and used to be. Brooks’ “lawyer” is so stoic and reserved yet when he gets to show his character’s seedier side you feel like you’re about to be in for a show. Gabel is like Abel’s past, he’s an immigrant who wants more, and whose tragic arc presents the story with its much needed humanity.