DVD Review - A Most Violent Year (2015)

Film Review - A Most Violent Year (2014)

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Distributor: Icon Film Distribution
Release Date: 23rd January 2015 (UK)
Rating:15
Running Time: 125 mins
Director: J. C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks

1981 is on record as statistically being one of the most dangerous years for New York City.  As well as being a dangerous year, it is also my birth year, so I sat down to enjoy this film thinking about those The Year I Was Born books that you got given as ‘original’ gifts as a child, eager to find out about New York City, in the year I was born.

The film follows Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac; Ex Machina, The Two Faces of January) and wife Anna (Jessica Chastain; Interstellar, Zero Dark Thirty) as they try to succeed with their oil trading business in the most violent year.  Business has been up and down for them, someone has been stealing oil from their tankers and they are being threatened with legal action from the DA for various accounts of embezzlement, but they are in the process of purchasing a large warehouse facility to greatly expand their business.

When a film is called A Most Violent Year you’re expecting a level of violence, so I spent a lot of the film waiting for something to happen, which kept me on my toes. However, the film is not about the city and the violent year, the story is more about an immigrant trying to do well in business and life, with crooked business associates, in a crooked business, in a violent city.  The nods to the violent year are achieved by radio snippets about shooting peppered throughout the film.

Jessica Chastain’s performance is standout and the highlight of the film, Anna’s moral compass slightly scewed to get the job done and to do right by the business and her family.  She skirts round questions from her husband about how legally they’ve been working with such class, very much aware that their competitors are just as crooked as they are.

One of the more interesting characters is Julian (Elyes Gabel; Interstellar, Game of Thrones), a driver who early on the film has his oil tanker stolen at gun point. He is then, after much debate, given a gun to protect himself, however he is really not emotionally ready to be back on the road. Abel is too preoccupied with financially concerns to fully sympathise with his employees state of mind, and as a result Julian handles his situation badly.  Girls fans like myself will also be pleased to see Christopher Abbott as one of the hijackers, who puts in a fine and gutsy performance.

A Most Violent Year is a subtle, suspenseful but rather slow moving at times, however an interesting portrayal of a well meaning man trying to do right in a violent and crooked world.  Though entertaining enough, I don’t think the film packs the punch which it promises.

Side Note - For old times sake I just dug out my copy of The Year I Was Born book, which tells me that on my birthday an ex-Trappist monk hijacked a Boeing 737 flying between Dublin and London.  He did this by covering himself in petrol and demanding the plane changed location to Iran, but being a short distance flight, the plane only had enough petrol to go to Paris.  When they landed in Paris, in discussions with the police the ex-monk's demands did not include any financial gain, only that Pope John Paul II make public a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies called the Third Secret of Fatima.  I hope I’m not the only one thinking that this story would have made a far more interesting movie than A Most Violent Year.

★★★★★

Alice Hubley

Blu-ray Review - Two Faces Of January (2014)

Watch The UK Trailer For The Two Faces Of January But Who Should You Trust?

Enjoy A New Clip And Featurette For The Coen Brother's Inside Llewyn Davis

As 2014 creeps even closer our thoughts go towards what great films we can look forward too and next month one of the highly anticipated films will be released, The Coen Brothers Inside Llewyn Davis. This afternoon we have another exciting look at the film from a new clip sent to us from our good friends at Studiocanal and another look at the UK trailer.

Based on the actual memoirs of folk legend Dave Von Ronk, Inside Llewyn Davis follows the life of folk singer Llewyn Davies (Oscar Isaac) attempting to navigate around the Greenwich folk scene .Set during the harsh winter of 1961 New York penniless , only a orange tabby cat for company,  an ex-girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) pregnant, Llewyn attempts to get his first foot in business to audition for music mogul Bud Grossman.

We may not revved up the engine on the awards season yet the buzz from the film, we would be silly to say this film wont do well in the awards, with  fantastic U.S reviews things look good for the film. Most of all it's the long welcome return of  Joel & Ethan Coen  behind the camera after been in the wilderness past few years.

Inside Llewyn Davies now has a UK&Irish release date of 24th January 2014  and co-stars Justin Timberlake, John Goodman,Garret Hedlund, Adam Driver and F. Murray Abraham.

Film Clip

UK Trailer

[Update - 22 December 2013] Totalfilm have posted a exclusive featurette which looks at the music of Inside Llewyn Davies with the 'folk music' created specifically for the film.

Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers chats about working with The Coen Brothers and a insight into the original song 'Auld Triangle' and the input a certain cast member had on the song too.


[update 2nd January 2014 - Studio Canal have now sent us our own version of the featurette]

Watch New Second Trailer for The Coen Brothers Inside Llewyn Davis

It's not an easy world been a Folk Singer especially in a world created by The Coen Brothers as their previous filmography proves things are hard for their protagonists. In Inside Llewyn Davis we transport back to 1960's Greenwich Village New York, folk music following one man's struggle to find his place in that scene, watch new trailer.

Inside Llewyn Davies is based on actual folk legend Dave Von Ronk and his memoirs The Mayor Of McDougal Street starring Oscar Isaac as the titular character. With no money, a ex-girlfriend who is pregnant (Carey Mulligan) who hates him with only a tabby cat for company, Llewyn attempts to make his mark on the Greenwich folk scene a career that would go onto to inspire the likes of Bob Dylan.

I'm not scared to admit I'm a latecomer to appreciate the talents of Joel and Ethan Coen Fargo was my introduction though I will say a slight disappointment in True Grit, probably because I've never been a fan of Westerns. Inside Llewyn Davies been the first Coen Brothers film since True Grit 2 years previously it's no surprise it's now one of the most anticipated films and this trailer encapsulates the tone of the era. Very melancholic, bleak but we also get to meet some of the films other characters (Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman) giving us a little more sense of the plot and if your attracted to the music, the Mumford & Sons song may bring a smile to your face. The film left Cannes Film Festival with glowing reports and many are calling this film one of their finest films in a long time and that's good for us.

Inside Llewyn Davies now has a UK&Irish release date of 14th January 2014 (USA 6th December) and stars Garret Hedlund, Adam Driver and F. Murray Abraham.


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Source:Thepeoplesmovies