A Most Violent Year

The yearly rate of violence in a city depends on whether or not its sports team wins the championship.

However, the brutality in this drama is unrelated to playoff riots.

At the onset of the 1980s, Standard Oil owner Abel (Oscar Isaac) experiences an inordinate amount of truck hijackings.

At the behest of his wife (Jessica Chastain) he arms his drivers, but the violence only escalates.

While trying to figure out who's behind the thefts, Abel is also brokering a land deal that would see him monopolize the oil import market in New York.

But with his funds depleting fast, Abel is forced to borrow from unsavoury characters.

Despite a promising script and powerful performances, this quasi crime-thriller is sluggish from start to finish with very little violence or payoff at the end.

Besides, why steal from oil companies when you could just buy a dinosaur and make your own?

Yellow Light

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