I just watched J C Chandor's "A Most Violent Year." I was first delighted and then shocked as I listened to the bars of the theme music which is "lifted" from Hans Zimmer's music used in Malick's "The Thin Red Line." And there is no due acknowledgement to either Zimmer's or Malick's work in the credits of Chandor's film. Did no one in USA notice this to this day? I wonder what Chandor has to say.

A film on the varied shades of morality reminds one of Tony Gilroy's fine debut effort "Michael Clayton." But Gilroy appeals to a viewer because the really morally good wins in the end. while in Chandor's film the "good" forces that win are not truly good, just merely better than some other forces discussed in the script. It is almost like "Nightcrawler" where the downright evil forces thrive in USA and the audience is supposed to like it.

I have thus very mixed feelings to Chandor; he has shown both sides of his creativity, he is better than the average Hollywood director when it comes to style, while he is questionable on matters stated above.