A Most Violent Year (2014)

In New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.

Director:

J.C. Chandor

Writer:

J.C. Chandor

Stars:

Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 15 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oscar Isaac	...	Abel Morales
Elyes Gabel	...	Julian
Jessica Chastain	...	Anna Morales
Lorna Pruce	...	Toll Booth Attendant
Christopher Abbott	...	Louis Servidio
Matthew Maher	...	John Dominczyk
Albert Brooks	...	Andrew Walsh
Jerry Adler	...	Joseph Mendelsohn
Quinn Meyers	...	Moishe Mendelsohn
Chester Jones III	...	Beat Cop (as Chester Jones)
David Oyelowo	...	D.A. Lawrence
Glenn Fleshler	...	Arnold Kline
Jimmy Palumbo	...	Barber Jimmy O.
Daisy Tahan	...	Annie Morales
Ashley Williams	...	Deputy Lange

Storyline

A crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city's history, and centered on the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

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Plot Keywords:

american dream | new york city | oil | immigrant | violence | 

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Taglines:

New York City 1981, a dangerous time to build an empire.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA United Arab Emirates

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

30 January 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jc3

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$188,000, 2 January 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,749,134, 26 April 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Before The Door Pictures,Washington Square Films,FilmNation Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is director J.C Chandor's third feature film.

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Goofs

When the young salesman goes out his first day, there's a shot of a residential street. Several houses have modern satellite dishes attached to their roofs (like dish or DirecTV). There were no home satellite dishes in 1981.

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Quotes

Anna Morales: You're not gonna like what will happen once I get involved.

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Connections

Referenced in Film '72: Episode #44.2 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Una Lacrima Sul Viso
Written by Mogol (as Giulio Rapetti Mogol) & Roberto Satti
Performed by Ciao Italia
Courtesy of Rendez-Vous-Digital

User Reviews

Much better than the standard gangster flick implied by the title

I've been amazed at some of the slams this movie has taken. No story? Boring? Slow? You've got to be kidding. This was a fascinating character study of an "honorable man" trying to retain his honor in a corrupt business and political environment. From the title, I was expecting more of a traditional Martin Scorcese gangster flick, so I was surprised (pleasantly) that "violence" of the film was primarily about two codes of life clashing against one another. I can certainly understand a viewer attracted to the film because of the word "violence" ibeing disappointed at seeing so little on the screen. But I found the film riveting: excellent plotting, great writing and superb performances.