Review: A Most Violent Year (2014)

"A Most Violent Year" is a throw back film that can be embraced with open arms. Writer-director J.C. Chandor puts forth a character-driven melodrama that thankfully lacks predictability and includes great dialogue.

Set in New York City in 1981, the film explores the difficulty of keeping violence at bay and begs the question of whether or not it takes more strength to not pull the trigger than to pull it. Is reigning in the desire to lash out when you think you're losing the war really the most difficult part of the battle?

Oscar Isaac delivers a fantastic performance as Abel Morales, a Latin immigrant who started at the bottom and has grown into an upwardly mobile businessman. All he wants is to achieve his version of the American Dream while keeping hold of what he believes is right.

Jessica Chastain also brings a complex character to the table with her portrayal of Anna Morales, daughter of a Brooklyn gangster, wife to Abel and mother to their three daughters. She's tough and she displays that not all wives with husbands in questionable businesses are oblivious to what's going on. Some wives actually do the book cooking themselves. 

The dynamic between Isaac and Chastain is so believable and interesting to watch as they both battle and balance one another. Abel may be Latino and Anna a blonde Caucasian, but they are no Tony Montana and Elvira Hancock. They are a true power couple and this is a film to see. 

Chandor says that he has ideas for a trilogy that details more adventures from Abel and Anna and if they are anything like this film, movie lovers should be happy to hear it.*

Nikita's Rating: 3.5/4

*Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-most-violent-year-review-20141231-column.html

Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

With all of the Oscar-buzz surrounding 9 year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, I thought I should review 'Beasts of the Southern Wild.' I took quite a bit of time between viewing the film and writing anything about the film because I had mixed feelings about it and wasn't quite sure how to articulate them. That's why I decided to do a standard review. My personal feelings can be left out and the film's themes and motifs (as interpreted by me) can be at the forefront.

Review

'Beasts of the Southern Wild' was directed by Benh Zeitlin and stars Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry (who happens to be a baker in his first film role). Set in the bayou of Louisiana, which is referred to as "the Bathtub" by its residents, we see the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of Hushpuppy (Wallis) and her father Wink (Henry) as they and other bayou inhabitants try to stay together and survive. The film's central themes are the importance/teaching of strength, bravery and love, which are expressed in ways that many would find unconventional at best. Wink does what he can to ensure that Hushpuppy can survive without him in a way that would have result in most citizens giving a call to social services, but it does not subtract from the love that he expresses in his own manner and the love that he receives from his daughter in return.

With its occasionally non-linear plot and inclusion of imaginary creatures, 'Beasts' is able to relay the motifs of global warming, its effects, and the fact that it is not going anywhere anytime soon though some might miss these points. The world in which they live is revealed as unorthodox, but beautiful within its own right thanks to the work of cinematographer Ben Richardson. Wallis does an amazing job acting, especially for a 6-year-old, and brings life to the character of Hushpuppy. She and Wink are the characters with the most depth, though Wink cannot described as particularly rounded. The audience hears Hushpuppy's thoughts and her emotional discoveries, and though they are those of a child, they are still revelatory. She is the main window into the world that is largely unknown and it is a fresh pair of eyes on something many have probably seen in a magazine, book, or TV special, but never considered in the same manner.

This movie evokes thought and consideration and in that respect it is a film to see. It is strange, it is fantastical and it is interesting. However, there is something about the film that left me unsatisfied and maybe some members of the film's audience would agree and potentially shed light on what it is. Regardless, "the whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece... the entire universe will get busted," says Hushpuppy. We are each a piece of this universe and importance of even the smallest Hushpuppy is more than aptly delivered on screen.