A MOST VIOLENT YEAR: A Most Satisfying Film

J.C. Chandor may be just starting out, but his film resume is already very impressive. Last year, his very overlooked All is Lost was somehow riveting and entertaining, despite only taking place on a boat for the entire time, with one character and only two lines of dialogue. His latest, A Most Violent Year, may be about as different in subject as you could possibly get, yet it is just as enjoyable. In addition, it may be one of the first films that people will look to when they think back on the career of future star Oscar Isaac.

A complex, yet simple plot

The first way that A Most Violent Year will likely deceive you is with its title. It has its moments, yet for much of its length, the film deals almost primarily with character exchanges and interactions. Set in 1981, the film is centered on Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) and his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain), who are the owners of Standard Oil, a heating oil business located in New York City.

Having owned his business for some time, Abel is now focused on expanding to a place on the East River, which would not only be an ideal location but also would have the capacity to hold a great deal more oil for selling. What may come in the way of this venture, though, is the trouble with his trucks repeatedly being robbed by a group of individuals, who also leave the truck drivers severely injured. In addition, the business is being investigated by District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo) for possible illegal activities.

Oscar Isaac is a commanding presence

A Most Violent Year may have been set up almost as if it is a crime gangster film, and at times it feels very much like one. Abel is forced to make shady business deals, is involved in occasional violent altercations, and runs his business almost as if he is a mafia gang leader. The only major difference, though, is that he is the head of an oil company instead of organized crime, and, despite his sometimes hazy morals, he mostly wishes to stay on the side of good.

As the head of a struggling, yet rising business, Abel is forced to not only lead and reassure his staff, but also solve problems when they inevitably arise. And he does it with fortitude and confidence, which would be absent were it not for  Oscar Isaac‘s commanding on-screen presence. Isaac, who you may know from 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis or the thriller The Two Faces of January, here further establishes his ability to fully inhabit a role. He is able to show not only the strong business leader side of Abel, but also his lesser-seen conscience, which despite everything, still wishes to lead his business in a legitimate way. The conflicted persona may even remind you of a young Godfather-era Al Pacino, or Robert De Niro from his early gangster films. And to make such a comparison may be a very good sign for the career of Isaac.

Gritty and riveting

As I mentioned, this is not a gangster movie, and has little to no violence that is actually seen on screen. Yet, it is somehow just as intense and gritty as even a Martin Scorsese classic. The grittiness comes not from the end of a gun, though, but from character interactions. Some of the best occur between Abel and his wife, Anna, who share the same level of ambition, yet completely differ on the best ways to succeed. Chastain (who is also fantastic) is the moral equivalent of the little devil on Abel’s shoulder, always urging him to go just a little further to assure the future of their business.

Just as in All is Lost, Chandor is able to find the entertaining potential even in the most seemingly dull of moments. In A Most Violent Year, it comes in an unlikely scene, when Abel is explaining to his sales team how best to approach and interact with potential customers when going door to door, even going so far as to explain the exact type of beverage that you should accept should you be offered one (always pick the fancy alternative). It is these types of simple interactions that speak more to character than any amount of violence could show, and is Chandor‘s way of proving that you can usually accomplish more with less. It is because of this ideal that A Most Violent Year is much more interesting than otherwise would have been. After all, the film is just about the ventures of an oil business owner, which itself does not sound too exciting.

Conclusion

To conclude, J.C. Chandor‘s A Most Violent Year may have been just as overlooked as his last when it comes to award nominations, yet it is a fascinating, intense, character-driven drama, which not only transports you to the state of mind of NYC in the 1980’s, but will also show you just how entertaining simplicity can be. Plus, it’s got Oscar Isaac, a talented rising star, whose powerful performance alone is worth the price of admission.

So what did you think of A Most Violent Year? Are you a fan of J.C. Chandor’s films? Let us know in the comments!

(top image source: A24)