Winner of the National Board Of Review award for Best Film of 2014, J.C. Chandor‘s "A Most Violent Year" is another excellent entry in the director’s increasingly impressive filmography. While there were a lot of comparisons made between Chandor’s film, starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, and "The Godfather," Chandor notes there are some key differences.
"There were things we were playing off of and looking back on it, one of them was maybe too cute," he told us in a recent interview. "In ’81, when ‘A Most Violent Year’ was set, in New York City ‘The Godfather’ and Michael Corleone were a huge influence culturally on Oscar Isaac’s character. And especially as a businessman in Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Westchester, you’re doing immigrant business and he’s going to know about ‘The Godfather,’ right? But if you look at these movies they’re totally different. Abel did not inherit a business from his Dad, which is about as structural a difference as you can possibly have given Abel’s motivations."
Indeed, Chandor’s film is a different kind of movie about crime and family, and if you haven’t seen it, or if you are big fan, we’ve got copies of "A Most Violent Year" on Blu-ray for some lucky readers.
To win, here’s what to do: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, tweet: "I want to win A Most Violent Year from @ThePlaylist. #WinThePlaylistContest," and include this link. Your final step: just email us your tweet, with your full name and address, and let us know your favorite Jessica Chastain movie. Good luck!
Update: Contest closed, winners will be contacted via email.