If you’re not a fan of violent films don’t let the title of
this one scare you away. There is actually very little violence in A MOST
VIOLENT YEAR, even though it concerns the potential rising of a gangster boss.
What the title refers to is the year 1981, considered statistically to be the
most violent year in the recent history of New York City.
What the movie actually involves is the story of Abel
Morales (Oscar Isaac), an immigrant who has worked his way to the top of a
heating oil business. While he did work his way up he later bought the business
from his boss as well as wed his daughter Anna (Jessica Chastain). Successful
in his area, he now wants to expand and to help do that he’s attempting to
purchase land next door to his operation. With this riverfront location, he can
import cheaper oil and take on his competitors. Having placed a down payment
using everything he owns as collateral, he now has to make good on the balance
within a few days.
But someone doesn’t want to see that happen. Someone has set
in motion several problems that will keep Abel from achieving his dreams. As
Abel tries to do things on the straight and narrow, he finds it more difficult
to work that way in this city than he thought. It begins with the hijacking of
his trucks, the first one we see driven by Julian (Elyes Gabel of SCORPION
fame). Beaten and hospitalized, the theft takes its toll on Julian. On top of
this, a local DA (David Oyelowo) is investigating the company books. While Abel
is certain there are no problems, Anna isn’t quite to optimistic and wants to
hang on to them as long as possible to go over them.
While his father-in-law once delved into the world of
organized crime, Abel wants to steer clear of them at all costs. But with each
new roadblock placed in front of him the temptation to do so lingers. Harassed
at home by the DA, more trucks stolen and with no one to turn to when the bank
who pledged to loan him the money to purchase the land next door backs out,
Abel must find a way to fight off those who stand in his way of success without
digging a hole from which he can never escape.
The movie plays out like many of the gangster films from the
seventies and eighties and has been compared to the movies made by Sidney
Lumet. This is actually a great description of the style and feel of the movie.
Lumet was known to capture the feel, the heart and soul of what the seedier
sides of NYC were like while at the same time showing a love for the city as
well. This film does that in spades. Put side by side you might notice the
difference, but you would also recognize the similarities as well.
More so than the look of the film is the combination of
screenwriting and acting that make this film pop. Isaac turns in a fantastic
performance here often reminding at least this viewer of the young Al Pacino in
THE GODFATHER, perhaps one of the best performances in screen history. Here he
exudes the successful appearance of a business owner in high priced suits and
camel hair coat. His attitude is one of slowly simmering anger that almost
never boils over. This subdued façade that his character puts on makes him feel
all the more dangerous.
Chastain also turns in a great performance. Her character
moves from one emotion to the other, at first being the supportive wife and
then flipping over to a more manipulative player in the events that take place.
She wants what is best for her family, her husband, and is willing to do almost
anything to insure that this happens. As with Isaac, her performance is subtle
and suggestive, with an underlying sense of danger at her core. Combine these
two performances and you have a married couple that will do whatever it takes
to become successful.
The movie received plenty of praise when released but seems
to have fallen under the radar of most movie theaters. I don’t think it even
played in any of the local main theaters here where I live. That’s sad because
far too often I find the newest blockbuster playing on 5 of the 20 theaters in
the local megaplex. And with 3 movies like that it limits the number of
different films playing so we miss out on many great movies that way. Thank
goodness we can make up for it via DVD.
The movie meanders along at a steady pace and features less
action than one would expect with a title like this. But don’t let that fool
you. What you get is a complete story that holds your interest from start to
finish. It is definitely worth watching.
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