Last Wednesday, the red carpet was rolled out on Hollywood Boulevard, the paparazzi were out in force and the Spiderman and Wonder Woman impersonators had been pushed aside, at least momentarily, for American Film Institute’s annual film festival.
Cinema Retro was in da house for writer/director J.C. Chandor’s new crime drama, A Most Violent Year, this year’s opening night selection. The director introduced his third film onstage at the Dolby Theater, joined by his distinguished cast and crew, including Jessica Chastain and DP Bradford Young. Chandor also pointed out where he was sitting when his screenplay for “Margin Call” (which he also directed) lost out to Woody Allen’s “Midnight In Paris” in the 2012 Oscar race.
Although the film’s setting – the cutthroat world of home heating oil doesn’t sound exciting, it provides the backdrop for Abel Morales, a principled young businessman (the excellent Oscar Issac) to reach for the American dream – if his competitors don’t ruin him first! Chandor, a NJ native, perfectly captured the bone-chilling winter of 1981 as well as the underbelly of this unglamorous but essential trade. Jessica Chastain was a scene-stealer as Abel’s beautiful but hard-edged wife, willing to reach into her mob past to protect their business. Screen veteran Albert Brooks gives a steady, understated performance as their business partner, totally unfazed by the industry’s corruption even as the violence starts to spiral out of control.
A bit drawn out at times, the film’s strong performances and meticulously crafted early 80s look more than make up for the slow pace. One stunning shot occurs early on when the main character looks out over a grimy industrial property he’s desperately trying to acquire and across the East River is the 1981 New York skyline complete with the Twin Towers; a sight many a New Yorker took for granted until they were gone.
After the credits it was on to the famous Roosevelt Hotel – where Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford used to down cocktails – for an after-party complete with open bar and unlimited schmoozing but curiously no food. It was a headache-inducing combination that sent this CR scribe heading off to see another acclaimed Hollywood star, In & Out Burger!
This article originally appeared on CinemaRetro
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