Review of A Most Violent Year (2014) by João Miguel R — 23 May 2015

Review:

This is another movie which is completely different to the advert and the poster! I thought that it was going to be a New York gangster movie set in the 80's but it turned out to be about a sincere business man who wants to push his freight business into the mainstream, with the law and the mob on his back. After a few of his trucks get stolen and the law opens a case against him, he struggles to prove that his business is legit whilst trying to find out who is stealing his trucks. On top of that, the bank pull out of an important deal between him and some Jewish land owners so he has to find the money to close the deal or he will lose his down payment, which was all of his life savings. With all of these elements happening at the same time, it's a very intense drama were you don't know who is good or who is bad. The innocent business/family man is against violence and dirty money so he tries his utmost to keep the business legit, against all odds. The performances from the cast, is top class but it does take some time to get going. The pace of the movie is quite slow but the intensity kept the movie interesting along with the many twist and turns in the storyline. I was impressed with the determination and ability not to break under pressure from the main character and you can't help rooting for him, to achieve his goals. Although the movie isn't a true story, it does feel very realistic which is due to good writing and a great cast. In all, it's a complex drama which is quite enjoyable, if your in the right frame of mind. Enjoyable!

Round-Up:

It's a shame that this movie tanked at the box office because the cast gave it there all and the storyline isn't that bad. If there were some big names in the film, it might have got the money that it deserved but it really didn't go down well with audiences. Oscar Isaac was a great choice for the lead and his sharp, business mannerisms worked well with this character. There were many parts of the film were he could have broken down and turn to the dark side but he's extremely focused on his goals which is very inspiring. Jessica Chastain, who put Oscar forward for his role, is great in the movie and her complete trust in her husband was very realistic. She has recently starred in Interstellar and she played the bitch in Help, which I'm sure everyone will remember because of the cake with the extraordinary ingredients. Anyway, I must have enjoyed this film because I stayed awake all the way through the movie, so you know that it's worth a watch.

Budget: $20million.

Worldwide Gross: $6million.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their intense dramas about a businessman who wants to push his freight business into the mainstream whilst being under investigation of fraud and fighting against the mob. 6/10.