Oscar Isaac has played an arrogant out of work musician (Inside Llewyn Davis) and an ex-convict (Drive). Now he plays a struggling businessman transporting oil.
The film is very dry and really my biggest issue is the ending which seems to cut the drama short just when it is getting interesting.
Still the film is clever and subtle in its exploration of a well-meaning businessman fighting a losing battle to stay legitimate and avoid corruption in the face of mounting pressures.
Jessica Chastain is interesting as his wife with gangster family connections and Elyes Gabel is also great as one of Oscar Isaac’s vulnerable drivers in fear of roadside attacks from people trying to steal the oil.
The big problem is that, for all the cool subtlety, very little actually happens. Having loved J.C. Chandor’s first film "Margin Call" which managed to push a lot of atmosphere into a mostly inactive film, I was bored to tears by "All Is Lost" about one man's struggle for survival at sea. "A Most Violent Year" is half way between the two. It has exciting moments, but it's still missing the atmosphere of J.C. Chandor’s debut. I was interested by much of what happened, but I wish the story had a more interesting payoff.
B-
