A Most Violent Year

Not a great movie but I did think about it for a week or so.

This film makes you wonder why anyone would want to live in New York City. It's about a Hispanic guy who buys an oil business from his father-in-law and after five years branches out by buying into an oil terminal for $1.5 million. Meanwhile his competitors are robbing his trucks and beating up his employees and he does...absolutely nothing. One of his drivers is beaten and pistol-whipped so badly he ends up in the hospital with severe PTSD and a broken jaw. Half of his face is unrecognizable, but when he returns to work and begs his employer to make him a salesman, the guy says no and sends him back out as a driver again. The very next time out he is robbed again by two men with guns. So he pulls out a gun and fires back. By the end of the film his employer, the supposed "good guy" of the film has left him no choice but to kill himself or go to prison for at least 10 years. This couple didn't care about anyone, not even their kids, just money. Not only was it boring, it was upsetting and frustrating to watch good kids get hurt on their first job because this guy promised he'd take care of them. Parents take note, don't let your kids work for strangers. Keep it in the family or they might end up dead. With the title of the film you would expect some kind of closure at the end but there's absolutely nothing.

Not bad movie but kind of slow and boring! If you want action don't watch this movie.

Enjoyed more than I thought I would so in that aspect it was a nice suprise.
A lot of the reviews were negative, but I think people missed some of the points it was trying to convey - about the issues we have in society.

This was more thought provoking than I expected & I didn't find it easy to figure out who the enemy was.

I enjoyed it & overall, I'd recommend it.

New York City. 1980. Pursing the American dream. In the end, everyone is corrupt to some degree. Watchable but not great.

J. C. Chandor appears to be the heir of such great directors as Ed Wood (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Glen or Glenda), Phil Tucker (Robot Monster) and Herschel Gordon Lewis (Blood Feast.) Most of the necessary ingredients appear to be here - wooden acting, tacky sets and excessive histrionics. Unfortunately, only one scene challenges the aforementioned directors - the one where the hapless truck driver commits suicide , the wayward bullet punctures one of Abel's beloved fuel tanks and he manages to plug the leak using a handkerchief. It also would be interesting to see how Chandor would fare on a budget about 1/10th the size.
Surprise acting: What was Issac Oscar doing in this film? After a fine performance in Llewyn Davis, one would think that he would aim a bit higher.

Oscar Issac definitely gives a riveting performance. I think what I have read from other KCLS patrons is the screenplay is lacking. I agree the story just doesn't make all that much sense and is not that interesting. Now it seems many awards were given the movie, but only the acting is worthy of such credit!

This is an American crime drama written and directed by J. C. Chandor, originally released as a motion picture in 2014.
Abel Morales appears an ambitious businessman, but apparently he has a lot of rivals.
And here comes a likewise ambitious D.A. who wants to take him down.
Now Abel is driven to desperate measures to save his company and protect his family.
Eventually, you will see that two ambitious men team up by a seemingly innocent-looking yet some corrupted way.
It might be more than likely the way things are done in New York City.

No question, I wanted to like A Most Violent Year, and should have liked it more. It seems inspired by the neo-realist, business/labour noirs of the early 1950s, like Thieves' Highway and The Garment Jungle. But it could benefit from those films' snappy pacing. Thirty minutes alone could be cut by eliminating shots of people silently driving, running improbably long distances and sitting, staring into space. There is a long sequence largely lifted from The French Connection, but yeah, no, Friedkin it's not. That said there is a lot to like, especially Oscar Isaac's successful working man, who married the boss's mobster daughter. EXTRAS: the commentary track has a lot of info about the changing architecture and decor of New York, if you're into that; otherwise, it is less than riveting.

This is a good, contrary-to-type film that conveys a real-life feel, especially for anyone who knew NYC in the 80s. Oscar Issac's stand-out performance makes the film, along with Albert Brooks as his lawyer on the fringes of legality. An intelligent movie, but not one for those looking for car chases, shoot-outs and Goodfellas-style dialogue.