To me at least, this engrossing film is much more about an independent businessman facing huge hurdles in a (very) tough industry, than it is the crime drama that critics allude to. Indeed, its (mistitled) title, based on other reviews on this site, apparently attracted some violence-aficionados who were expecting a mob film with wise guys decapitating each other, and were thus sorely disappointed. I can't remember many (any?) Hollywood films where the central character is a businessman who is portrayed as honest, decent, wise, and with an intuitive knowledge of human nature, and that frankly makes the film interesting to me. Abel Morales (as portrayed by Oscar Isaac) is the businessman in the film. He's a well-spoken, self-controlled immigrant businessman who's doing reasonably well in the NYC heating oil business, but in the film he plans a major expansion of his capacity by purchasing a fuel oil terminal on the East River. He has 30 days to secure the financing for the acquisition but he's beset by either rivals or freelancers who hijack his fuel trucks and sell his oil, plus an ambitious Assistant DA who's investigating price-rigging and tax evasion in the heating oil business who seems to be (unfairly) targeting Morales. One thing leads to another, allowing his bank to drop his financing, and he's forced to locate other sources of funding in the few days he has left to close the deal. Maybe these business issues don't do anything for you, but the characterization of Morales and his desire to do the right thing made me root for him. His wife, the daughter of a mobster, urges him to fight violence with violence to which he refuses. He even throws her gun away that she purchased for protection. Yes, there's criminal activity in this film (e.g., the hijackings) but it's essentially about an honest man trying to stay on the right side of the law operating in a cut-throat business who has a major investment that will either make him or break him. Eight stars for a rare portrayal of a businessmen struggling to overcome all sorts of obstacles.