J.C. Chandor has proven himself a talented director with just two films under his belt and already an Oscar nomination to his credit. After the sleeper hit that was MARGIN CALL, Chandor delivered the powerful Robert Redford film ALL IS LOST. Now, he takes a very different approach to the dark and foreboding drama A MOST VIOLENT YEAR.
Starring Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR looks like vintage Scorsese. Watching this trailer I immediately thought about films like GOODFELLAS, MEAN STREETS, and TAXI DRIVER. The subject matter of the film is brutal in a very different sense of the word with what could be a pair of powerhouse performances from the two stars.
Set during the winter of 1981 — statistically one of the most crime-ridden of New York City’s history — A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a drama following the lives of an immigrant and his family as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.
Also starring Albert Brooks, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR looks like one of those movies that won’t set the box office on fire but will be on every critic’s top ten list. I am definitely looking forward to this one, especially since this will be Oscar Isaac‘s last film before STAR WARS: EPISODE VII makes him a household name.
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR opens in limited release on December 31, 2014 and will go wide in January 2015.