J.C Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year” is a crime drama that
requires a lot of patience from the audience. Part of this comes from the fact
that the title promises a much different, more exciting movie. Chandor’s
picture is set in New York during 1981, a year which historically had the most
violent crime in the city, but virtually all of those crimes are done off
screen. During the entire two hour and five minute running time there’s a grand
total of one gunfight and a single foot chase. Instead, things unfold in a very
meticulous and coy way and Chandor is more interested in what’s going on
internally in his characters than on the outside. It’s a slow burn but those in
the mood for a deliberate and suspenseful character driven crime saga should
come away satisfied.
The movie revolves around Abel Morales, (Oscar Isaac) an
immigrant who believes very strongly in hard work and the American dream. He
operates a heating oil business out of long island, along with his wife Anna
(Jessica Chastain) and his consigliore Andrew Walsh (another terrific dramatic
turn from Albert Brooks). When we first meet Abel he’s in the process of buying
a piece of property; a station where he can receive and deliver oil more easily
and store more gallons. However, he runs
into trouble when his trucks start to get hijacked one after another, and to
make matters worse the DA Lawrence (David Oyelowo) is going to bring charges
against his business.
This makes “A Most Violent Year” a gangster picture but
Chandor never makes clear exactly what illegal activities Abel and Anna are involved
in. Isaac continues his hot streak as an actor, giving a superbly unassuming
and scrupulous performance that maintains this sense of ambiguity for the
duration of the film. Abel wears nice suits and sports a mobster-style comb
over but he lives and acts modestly. He wants his business to grow but he
doesn’t come off as greedy or power hungry; he doesn’t want to live
luxuriously, in a giant mansion with lots of stuff. For the most part, Abel
keeps a calm and patient demeanor, only rarely losing his temper. In order to
buy the property he goes through a major bank to get a lone, a move that feels
very ungangster like and most importantly, we never see Abel directly take part
in any illegal activities.
At the same time though, because his trucks keep getting
stolen and because the police are launching this investigation, there’s clearly
something going on. Isaac always
portrays Abel as being stable and in control, even as he struggles to keep his
business from failing he never becomes panicked or fazed. At no point does he
seem totally innocent, like he’s being wrongfully targeted by the police or
rival gangs/businesses. However because Abel isn’t upfront about his
criminality--because he doesn’t flaunt it around, as most movie gangsters tend
to do—we’re forced to examine the character and his actions more carefully. We’re
supposed to look below the surface to find out what’s actually going on.
As good as Isaac is, Chastain equals him in everyway. She
too gives a powerfully understated and ambiguous performance. Her Anna is at
once a faithful wife/business partner and a dominant, independent woman, whose
motives aren’t always clear. Sometimes she appears to be the one in charge of
the business. She’s tough and intimidating but at the same time has a discreet
elegance. Together, Abel and Anna make for one of the most compelling and
mysterious married couples in a movie this year.
Like Abel and Anna, the rest of “A Most Violent Year” is
also unassuming and requires careful viewing. Chandor doesn’t make everything
crystal clear. Since things happen in a very low key, measured manner it’s easy
to miss subtle developments in the narrative. Important bits of information are
revealed in casual conversation. Certain scenes—for example, when Abel and Anna
hit a deer with their car as they’re driving home and Anna kills the animal
swiftly and apathetically with a gun after Abel takes too long—that seem random
initially, actually expose important aspects of the characters. Chandor
maintains this methodical pacing for the entire movie, never feeling the need
to speed things up or over explain things. In this regard, the picture doesn’t
talk down to the audience.
In addition, Chandor uses this subtlety to create tension.
Everything feels too calm and low key, so you watch in anticipation for
something explosive and out of the ordinary to happen. It gets to the point
where even during the most mundane sequences you’re on edge. Also, by setting
the movie during the year with the most violent crime, Chandor creates an even
greater sense of suspense and paranoia. In the film, violent crime is treated
like an ominous presence that always looms in the background; we may not
experience much of it directly on screen but it’s always there, putting strain on
the characters, as well as us. And all of this is accomplished with the utmost
of ease and authenticity, not once does any of tension feel forced or
over-the-top.
“A Most Violent Year” isn’t going to do well with the general
audience. It’s simply too slow and not enough happens on a large, visible
scale. Not that Chandor’s previous two efforts—“All is Lost” and “Margin Call,”
two fantastic movies in their own right—were crowd pleasers either but given the
title of this one I have a feeling it will probably be received the poorest. What
happens in the film certainly isn’t ground breaking but it’s an expertly
crafted and acted drama/thriller that’s able to sustain a feeling of dread and
uncertainty all the way up until the final frame. It’s not a film I can easily
recommend but those with a great enough attention span should be extremely
impressed by it.
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