A Most Violent Year

JC Chandor is an underrated filmmaker. His films are diverse and interesting, from his ensemble thriller Margin Call to his most recent, All Is Lost featuring Robert Redford and the ocean. This year he creates something different, with a period crime drama.

In New York 1981, A Most Violent Year follows Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), a hard-working business owner attempting to expand by purchasing an oil terminal on the East River. His goal becomes difficult as things get in the way – hijacked trucks, district attorney investigations and armed competitors.

The film defies expectations. The title includes ‘violent’, yet it manages to restrain itself. Abel looks/sounds like your classic gangster, yet he’s a man who genuinely wants to be a good, legitimate businessman rather than a gangster. With Isaac’s charisma, Abel is a character you can root for throughout his moral turmoil.

Jessica Chastain inverts female gangster film roles, giving a commanding performance as Abel’s wife, a woman completely at ease with gangster violence and more than capable of it herself. Together Isaac and Chastain are dynamite. Albert Brooks also provides excellent support as Abel’s right-hand man.

With great period design through set and costume, an atmospheric score from Alex Ebert and great direction, A Most Violent Year isn’t perfect, but succeeds in being refreshingly different.

In cinemas 26 Feb