A Most Violent Year Invokes Memories Of Many Great Classics

J.C. Chandor's been killing it since he burst onto the scene back in 2011 with Margin Call. A Most Violent Year is his next film of quality.

A Most Violent Year is an interesting take on the mafia mentality... or rather a completely new perspective. Because this isn't a mob movie. This is an anti-mob movie. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is a power-hungry opportunist building an oil empire throughout the burrows of New York. But every step of the way he seems intent on staying fair and honest. Though the rest of the world seems to assume him a crook... and even his own wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) may not be a trustworthy partner in his attempts to keep things clean.

The cast is excellent. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain both give exceptional performances worthy of any awards season. And while I feel like Albert Brooks gave one of his hammier performances in recent memory, his character seems well written enough to keep him on track throughout the film's run-time. David Oyelowo shows up once again this year. And I have to say, I'm becoming more interested in his career with each day. Between this and Selma he can mark 2014 down as a real victory.

But what J.C. Chandor has accomplished with this film goes far beyond the acting performances. He has proven that he can make a period piece in the style of old Hollywood, but still manages to bring modern sensibilities to the table... rather, he has proven that no one can box him into a corner and label him as just a "this kind" of director. And while last year's All Is Lost didn't really do it for me, I still can't say he's made a bad film. There's just too much good stuff to be taken from the three he's got... and between this and Margin Call, the other could be forgotten regardless.

A Most Violent Year is certainly on par with the best films of 2014 and well worth your time and money.

Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby Is Not What I Expected

The trailer for Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is not a promo for the film that came out in theaters last week. It turns out, Ned Benson wrote and directed three films. The trailer uses pieces from all three. Which is odd because the idea stated in that 3-minute clip never actually comes to fruition in what is apparently titled "Them".

The concept for Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was two perspectives of a romance. The trailer emphasizes the idea that we will witness both sides of that... in the same movie. The trailer lied.

But now that I got that out of my system... this version of the movie was pretty good. Albeit, hard to watch. I really enjoyed how honest this story felt. These people and their decisions all make a sad sort of sense. And once everything is revealed and you really know why things went the way they did, there's a beautiful kind of tragedy within.

Between Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, any film would be in good hands. But this feels like the right project for them. Both bring an overwhelming level of sorrow and desperation to this picture. And it feels good to get such equal performances on either side (which is what must have been necessary for the additional two films to exist... and I would like to see those at some point). And then there's the supporting cast... an amazing group of veterans all bringing their A-game. Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Ciarán Hinds, Isabelle Huppert, with Jess Wexler, and William Hurt! What a superb cast they make.

If I had one complaint, it would be the use of the name Eleanor Rigby. Every time the characters discussed the name's origin it felt forced... like Ned Benson so badly needed an excuse to use it he had to write a couple one-liners to keep us on board. But honestly, I felt as though everyone already was on board. So it became unnecessary. The song is about lonely people... this film is about those people. It shows us where they come from. Point made. So really, I suppose my thinking is, those one liners could have just been left on the floor... the name itself wasn't the problem and at the end of the day it probably informed the story with a fun little pop reference.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, despite everything... I do like this movie. I'd recommend it even. Just recognize that it's not quite what the trailer tells you it is. To get all of that would require further viewing.