Rated: R
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks
1981 saw a record number of rapes and murders in the annals of New York City. By placing A Most Violent Year in 1981, writer-director J.C. Chandor infuses his film with the sense of urban paranoia that prevailed then.
In an opening scene, we witness an oil truck driver as he is brutally beaten, then booted out of his vehicle. This portends a series of similar attacks. Each time, the delivery truck is hijacked, the oil is siphoned off and the drained vehicle is then abandoned.
The driver’s boss, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), is a Latino immigrant. Immaculately coiffed and coutured, he has the bearing of a confident, successful businessman. And Abel is taking a big gamble. Accompanied by his attorney, Andrew Walsh (Albert Brooks), Abel meets with some Hasidic Jews to sign an agreement of sale on a waterfront property.
Andrew points out to Abel that he is paying a price above the fair market value for the property. However, Abel counters that the location will give his company direct access to incoming oil tankers. He is convinced that this is a key strategic benefit that justifies the sale price.
Nevertheless, the agreement is an extremely risky gamble. Abel has to sink all of his cash into a deposit on the property. If he can’t come up with the balance of the sale price within 30 days, he will forfeit the deposit. Abel has established a strong relationship with his bank. He is counting on securing a loan from them to come up with the outstanding balance.
As the hijackings continue, Abel seeks legal protection from District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo). However, the prosecutor rebuffs Abel’s entreaties. Instead, Lawrence announces that he is planning to indict Abel for white-collar crimes. Once the bank learns of Abel’s prospective prosecution, they reject his loan application. Meanwhile, Abel’s trucks continue to be hijacked, further subverting his financial situation.
Abel’s wife, Anna (Jessica Chastain), is the daughter of a mobster. Her father had founded the lucrative Standard Home Oil Company. Before his death, he sold it to Abel. Anna recognizes that one of their business rivals must be culpable for the hijackings. Which one is it? What is Abel going to do to about it? As the 30-day deadline approaches, the tension mounts.
This is Chandor’s third feature film. His debut, Margin Call, starred Kevin Spacey as a Wall Street stockbroker confronted by a plunging market. His sophomore effort, All is Lost, provided Robert Redford with a late-career, virtually dialogue-free role as a stranded yachtsman.
This time around, Chandor taps Isaac, an up-and-coming actor who starred in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis. Is it a sheer coincidence that Isaac’s performance here recalls that of a young Al Pacino in his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather? Both characters project a quiet intensity coupled with distaste for the thuggery around them.
The supporting cast is notably strong. Long-time funnyman Brooks plays it totally straight. He is quite effective as an attorney with mob connections and a jaundiced perspective. Similarly, Chastain portrays an atypical role. Her character is a brassy pragmatist unencumbered by her husband’s ethical qualms about violence.
Chandor continues to build a strong résumé, both as a screenwriter and director. As a result of his adroit work and excellent acting, A Most Violent Year is a dramatically compelling film.
