{"id":20585,"date":"2015-04-11T11:27:09","date_gmt":"2015-04-11T18:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/ClaireWolfe\/?p=20585"},"modified":"2015-04-11T11:27:09","modified_gmt":"2015-04-11T18:27:09","slug":"a-most-remarkable-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/11\/a-most-remarkable-movie\/","title":{"rendered":"A most remarkable movie"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Most Violent Year<\/em><\/strong>
\nAvailable on DVD<\/a> and Blu-ray<\/a><\/p>\n

I watched A Most Violent Year<\/i> on DVD last night and found it a most remarkable movie.<\/p>\n

It’s not the most technically astonishing movie I’ve seen lately (that would be Birdman<\/i>). It’s not even the most chilling crime thriller (that would be Nightcrawler<\/i>). It’s not even the best acted (which would be Whiplash<\/i>). I occasionally didn’t buy some of the plot points and I thought 20 minutes could easily have been trimmed out of it.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, it was remarkable — and in a good way. Why? Because its protagonist is an independent businessman and a man of honor determined, against great odds, to do everything right<\/i>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s the winter of 1981 — one of the most violent times in the history of New York City. Immigrant Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) has built his small heating-oil business into a contender. He’s ruthlessly competitive, but scrupulously honest. He aims to put competitors out of business, but intends to do it by offering a better product and better service. He expects the very best of his employees, but in return he gives them loyalty. He and his wife (Jessica Chastain), though both from sketchy backgrounds, are successfully pursuing the American Dream. They’ve just moved into an upscale house and now Morales is ready to take his business to the next step.<\/p>\n

He has negotiated a multi-million dollar deal to buy a waterfront terminal. The terminal will enable him to get direct shipments from anywhere in the world and its enormous storage tanks will put him at a competitive advantage by allowing him to buy when prices are low, store, and sell high.<\/p>\n

What could go wrong? Everything. After making an enormous cash down payment, he’s got just 30 days to complete the deal. No contingencies. He can’t make it, the down payment is lost and some competitor will get the terminal. Meantime, his success has drawn unwanted attention. Crooks are hijacking his trucks, beating his drivers, and stealing all the oil before abandoning the vehicles. Cops won’t do anything. The local Teamster boss, though sympathetic, threatens to pull all the drivers if Morales can’t protect them. Worst of all, a crusading DA (David Oyelowo) who’s been investigating corruption in the heating-oil business targets Morales’ business for multiple felony charges, apparently just because it’s the juiciest target. The charges threaten the relationship Morales has built with his bankers and the deal for the terminal begins to collapse.<\/p>\n

Through all this, Morales relentlessly pursues the terminal deal while also trying to find out which competitor is responsible for the truck hijackings. Everyone around him wants him to yield in some way, to compromise his principles, to cut some corner just to get by, just to survive in a world that’s so corrupt and dangerous. But he just doesn’t see it. He just believes that you do what’s right<\/i>.<\/p>\n

A Most Violent Year<\/i> is written and directed by J.C. Chandor, whose earlier film, Margin Call<\/i>, managed to wrench hair-raising drama out of a crisis in a Wall Street boardroom (think Lehmann Brothers, 2008). He also created All Is Lost<\/i>, a survival-at-sea film starring Robert Redford that I hadn’t planned to see but surely will now.<\/p>\n

Over the years various trend watchers have estimated that 60% of all business people portrayed in movies or on TV are shown as criminals. I’d guess it’s more like 75% (and probably even higher where the business people are major characters). So it’s remarkable to see a depiction like this of a ruthlessly honest<\/i> businessman in a ruthlessly corrupt environment. <\/p>\n

Is Abel Morales an Ayn Rand hero? Well, Francisco D’Anconia he’s not. Not John Galt or Hank Rearden, either. But outside of the tiny world of badly made Rand-fan pix, Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of Abel Morales is about as close as you’re going to get.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Most Violent Year Available on DVD and Blu-ray I watched A Most Violent Year on DVD last night and found it a most remarkable movie. It’s not the most technically astonishing movie I’ve seen lately (that would be Birdman). It’s not even the most chilling crime thriller (that would be Nightcrawler). It’s not even the best acted (which would be Whiplash). I occasionally didn’t buy some of the plot points and I thought 20 minutes could easily have been trimmed out of it. Nevertheless, it was remarkable — and in a good way. Why? Because its protagonist is an<\/p>\n

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