Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur clearly have a lot to answer for and their influence is for far-reaching than they knew. Back in the day - 70 years ago but who's counting - they collaborated on a modest 'B' picture entitled Curse Of The Cat People in which they racked up the tension but stopped short of actually showing any big cats attacking people. So it is here, gangster warfare constantly on the edge of the frame but never quite breaking through the glass fence. Statistically 1981 was one of if not THE most violent year in the history of New York, and against that backdrop a small heating-oil business is facing pressure on several fronts; at a basic level its trucks are being hi-jacked to the point where drivers are afraid to venture out; fiscally they are under investigation for dodgy bookkeeping and the bank pulls out as guarantor for a 1.5 mil loan they need to expand. The bulk of this is conveyed in dialogue as opposed to action and the writer is served brilliantly by the leading actors not least Jessica Chastain. An excellent drama.
Review of A Most Violent Year
