The best movie of 2014 that has flown under the radar is, without a doubt, J.C. Chandor’s (All Is Lost, Margin Call) A Most Violent Year. As I will mention in the paragraphs below, this movie is subtly fantastic. But before I get into the film, I want to talk about Chandor. This guy is quietly establishing himself as a master of two crafts. A Most Violent Year is just his third movie, but it is the third for which he has directed and written the screenplay. And all three films have earned at least 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes even though none made more than $8 million at the box office. All three movies are unique from one another, and Chandor has already had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood (Robert Redford, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Oscar Isaac, David Oyelowo, Jessica Chastain, and Albert Brooks). He has already signed on Mark Wahlberg to star in his next project. And while All Is Lost and Margin Call were both unique movie experiences, A Most Violent Year is Chandor’s crowning achievement to date.
I believed I had seen all of the top 10 movies of 2014 before this film, but as I sit here and reflect on it, I realize that it is vying with Gone Girl for that last spot. Both movies engrossed me, and I was happy to see both in the theater. But something about A Most Violent Year felt a bit more complete than Gone Girl. I was so disappointed with the end of Gone Girl. However, I was not dissatisfied with any aspect of A Most Violent Year. It was a very original, engaging, and satisfying movie, and one of the ten best acting performances of the year was delivered by Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive). Isaac is slowly but surely showing me that he is a man that you want to have in your movie.
The setting is 1981, New York City. With over 2200 murders, 5400 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults, 130,000 vehicle thefts, and 1,000,000 crimes to property, 1981 was the most violent year in America’s most magnificent city. And while A Most Violent Year is a fictional story, that year’s statistics are accurate. But unfortunately, this was a very corrupt and dangerous time. The law could not keep up with all of the crimes that were happening. And some of the crimes were shoved across desks and forgotten about simply because of a lack of human resources and the overwhelming number of crimes.
In A Most Violent Year, he stars as Abel Morales, an entrepreneur in the oil industry. He buys oil on the cheap, transports it in, and then sells it to his customers or competitors, whoever can offer a better price. He’s a man who wants to run a reputable business. He thinks he can make a profit doing things correctly and honestly. His business is expanding, and the new markets he may be entering are raising suspicion. He has a contract to buy a parking yard for a fee beyond market value. The yard has a ton of storage capacity for him to store his oil, and it is also next to the river, which would allow him to transport oil outside of just trucks. He is ambitious, but his money is tight. He’s relying more on the money he expects to be earning rather than the cash he already has. So it doesn’t help his cause when his trucks are stolen at gunpoint, his drivers are beaten, and he is robbed of thousands of dollars with no prospect of ever getting that money back. Worse, the truck robberies occur in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses. Chandor plays this as the norm of 1981, New York, rather than the exception. And when his oil gets stolen, Abel hasn’t much recourse since this isn’t a priority to the police.
However, the number of crimes in the industry has caused the Assistant District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo – Selma, Lincoln) is investigating the entire bulk-fuel delivery industry. Out of respect, he tells Abel that his company has broken the law and that he will soon be having a case brought against him. He has no idea of the crimes about to be levied against him and asks if his closest confidants know anything. These include his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain – Take Shelter, Zero Dark Thirty) and his lawyer Andrew (Albert Brooks – Drive, Broadcast News). Both deny any wrongdoing, but we soon learn that it is hard to trust anyone in this corrupt city during this tumultuous time. When the crimes start affecting his business and his family, Abel knows he must do something for this to end. With looming deadlines and enemies, both identifiable and unidentifiable.
Isaac was terrific in this film. He played a man who stayed true to himself (at least as much as he could) with so much insurmountable pressure hitting him in every direction. As he dealt blow after blow, he stayed calm and began to beg and borrow money and time from his associates, lenders, and business partners. But he refuses to do anything unethical and gets upset when his employees don’t uphold the law. Yet, on the other hand, he is faithful and empathetic towards his endangered drivers. Some might say that his moral compass is his tragic flaw. Others would say it is his greatest asset. By the movie’s end, you will know which group is correct.
It’s a grimy little movie that will keep you entertained the entire time while also keeping you guessing. Rotten Tomatoes didn’t identify it as a suspense movie, but I think it is as much suspense as it is drama. Chandor and Isaac were on the same page the whole time. Isaac was in that 8-10 range in terms of best performance by a lead actor this year. It was fitting to be left off the list, but he was very close. There was talk that Chastain would get a nomination. I’m glad that she didn’t. She was good, but not great. Brooks was similar. Oyelowo was great. He was nearly unrecognizable in this role compared to his role as Martin Luther King in Selma, a movie released within weeks of A Most Violent Year. In my opinion, this is a must-see film for anybody who likes a good crime drama or crime thriller.
Plot 10/10 (I found it original…it kept me entertained the entire time…New York may never have looked so bland in a movie as it has in this one)
Character Development 9.5/10 (Oscar Isaac’s character was developed beautifully…he was a man who stayed true to his values…who remained calm in circumstances that would cause most men to go crazy)
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8.5/10 (Isaac was brilliant, Oyelowo was great, Brooks was ok, and Chastain, yet again, was overrated)
Screenplay 10/10 (Chandor has the makings of a master)
Directing 10/10 (see above)
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 8/10
Hook and Reel 9.5/10
Universal Relevance 9/10 (I think it’s good to have a story surrounding the most crime-driven year in America’s largest city…this served as a legit story for me)
93.5%
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- Fruitvale Station
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- Miss Sloane
- Kill the Messenger
- A History of Violence