I always notice when the little things are off in movies the effectiveness of which hinges on authenticity. Everything in A Most Violent Year is true to the time period...the cars, the jacket lapels, the appliances, and even the razor that Abel is seen using in one scene (safety razor, not a bic).

Message of the movie: a deep, heartfelt ode to materialism and the love of money. Everyone is corrupt. Recreates perfectly the attitude of 1980s NYC-that the pursuit of wealth is of the utmost intrinsic goodness, that placing the pursuit of selfish goals above all else is the most righteous path.