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Quickie Review - A Most Violent Year

I am smitten with Jessica Chastain. From Take Shelter and The Help to Zero Dark Thirty and Mama, her range and ability to be a chameleon dazzled me. One one, somewhat recent visit to Jon Stewart's Daily Show, I also became aware at how funny, intelligent and beautiful she was. I thought she was arguably the best part of Interstellar, which disappointed me and I figured it was a blip on the radar. Then came this.

In an attempt to capitalize on American Hustle, we're given a very simple story, with painfully simplistic symbolism, played out to the backdrop of 1981 NYC. The most violent year on record, according to statistics. Gang wars and mob hits ruled the airwaves and the sex industry and rapes were also at an all-time high. None of this plays any part in the film and the director, I just read, meant it to be a metaphor for each character's personal life. This fails. So to does the cinematography, which has been praised by some. Yellow tint to give an 80's vibe. Sorry, but I don't like my movies like an instagram filter and I like something that at least makes me feel like it's the grimy part of the city, aside from a train station scene and a narrow deserted street.

The real problem isn't the view. It's the acting. Oscar Isaac is the hot guy in town, because he's managed to get roles in Coen Brothers films and a few other nice parts. He's a lead weight in everything he's in. Those who like his abilities use words like subtle, low-key and deliberate. I use, wooden and stiff. He's not comfortable walking on camera and in the first romantic moment between he and his wife (he and Chastain are actually good friends), the viewer feels shocked, because you assumed they were brother and sister or at the very most, boss and secretary. The chemistry is dead and it shows in every scene they share. Even when Chastain is given a juicy scene, she has Isaac to bring us down. Add in the always solemn Albert Brooks and you get what you expect. 1980's NYC and I can't tell you one song that was in the movie, not one street, restaurant, not even a Times Square shot. I realize it's independent, but this was bad. From start to finish it was scene after scene of failure and by the end, I can't help but wonder if Chastain knew it. The big payoff scene is followed by a "oh by the way, you're right" and that is the entire movie in a nutshell. The secondary ending is simply stupid, which plays into 2015's OWS crowd and will turn a few who didn't see it coming into fans. I saw it from scene one and my eye rolls are still giving me headaches.

Jessica, I love you...never again do this!!!

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