★ 8 / 10
_A Most Violent Year_ took a long time
Nathan
_A Most Violent Year_ took a long time to get me hooked, but once I was able to come around to it I was fully invested. Oscar Isaac is fantastic in this movie.…
_A Most Violent Year_ took a long time to get me hooked, but once I was able to come around to it I was fully invested. Oscar Isaac is fantastic in this movie. He was able to balance the intimidating front of a mobster while being able to present a sense of honesty as he was trying to avoid the more barbaric business practice of his contemporaries. It was a fine line, but it was a joy to see the mobster slowly start to take over as his desperation increased. Jessica Chastain was really good as well. She was a balancing force for Isaac's character and was just as badass in my opinion. They had amazing chemistry and formed a dynamic duo that was a force to be reckoned with. There is not a lot of action in this film, but the tension was thick and when there were more chaotic sequences they felt organic and real. The cinematography was top notch, I love the haze that was in this movie. It was nice touch and made the movie feel right at home in the 80's. This movie is not going to be for everyone, but I really dug it and recommend anyone to check it out.
**Score:** _83%_ |
**Verdict:** _Great_
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★ 8 / 10
Really Well-Made Film. Not for the Fast n' Furious Crowd
rddj05
Once again, Chandor gives us a well-written, well-acted, beautifully photographed film, on a relatively small budget, that winds up being incredibly watchable.…
Once again, Chandor gives us a well-written, well-acted, beautifully photographed film, on a relatively small budget, that winds up being incredibly watchable. I would say he's done this with all 3 of his films. None of them were action-packed film, but that all had a truth and reality to them, that really pulled me in.I've read some reviews on here that complain that the film was too slow for them or that it was "boring." Look, despite it's title (which may have mislead a lot of viewers going in), this film is not for the Fast and Furious or Transformers crowd. It's not even for people who loved the blood-soaked Scarface. It portrays violence and the fear of running a business in NYC in the early 80s, in a very real way. And it captures the early 80s look flawlessly. This film may, however, be be for people who loved films like The Godfather or DePalma's Dressed to Kill. Not only does Oscar Issac seem to channel bits of Michael Corleone, but the film is lit and photographed in a very similar manner to the way that Gordon Willis shot The Godfather. Also, for those who think there was a ton of action and killing in the Godfather, outside of the final few minutes, there really isn't. Though very different films, what pulls you into the Godfather and Dressed to Kill is similar to what pulls you in here. Tension, honesty, a simple story, well told. No BS. No shooting up a whole town, with dead bodies falling everywhere, and then cutting to the next scene at dinner. In real life, violence is frightening, finding a gun is frightening, shooting a gun at someone is frightening, having your life savings at stake, and the fear of losing everything you've worked for is frightening. Chandor pulls this all together to build tension, and it results in a very satisfying film.
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Those were the good old days of NY.