"A Most Violent Year" is the type of movie that doesn't get made much anymore. J. C. Chandor's film noir, set in 1982, has been favorably compared to Sidney Lumet's work, and that comparison is apt. Oscar Isaac plays Abel Morales, the owner of a fuel company in New York. He's in the middle of negotiating the purchase of a new facility. Unfortunately for him, his company is being investigated for multiple legal offenses. Worst of all, his trucks keep getting hijacked, which is costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Instead of a typical plot, the film mostly just follows Abel as his life spirals out of control and his world crumbles around him. It's a pretty stressful film, and Isaac is terrific as a man under intense pressure. The pacing is slow, but the film is not dull or boring. It is certainly more character-driven than action-oriented. It does have quite a bit of tension. The cinematography is gray and icy, and Alex Ebert's score is mournful. It's a good movie. Not a great movie, but certainly. Worth a watch if you can handle a slower pace.