Movie Review For January 2, 2015

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
Rated: R
Stars: Oscar Issac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo
Plot: A heating oil company owner finds himself in a turf war and a battle with the authorities in 1981 New York City.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

Jessica Chastain gives an outstanding, award-worthy performance in this otherwise lackluster film. With a title like A MOST VIOLENT YEAR you'd think there would be a good bit of violence. Well, you'd be wrong. Most of the violence takes place off camera and even then it's pretty tame.

My main thought as I walked out of the theater was, "Who knew the heating oil business was so rough?" I wish I had been thinking, "Wow, what an incredible movie."

The film is slow, tame and the ending is exceptionally anti-climactic. I would say it's a two-hour waste of your time, but that would be unfair to Chastain's performance. She makes the film tolerable.



THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2: ANGEL OF DEATH
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Phoebe Fox
Plot: A group of WWII child evacuees are placed at Eel Marsh mansion re-awakening the evil within.
Trailer

Clint Says: See it if you haven't seen the first one

The first film in this franchise, starring Daniel Radcliffe, was one of the creepiest and well done horror movies I have ever seen. It was dark and sinister, but not overly dramatic. Nor was it full of the usual scary movie hack tricks to make it seem scarier.

This film is exactly the same as the first one. That's good in that it is really creepy and well done, but it's bad because it doesn't further the story at all. It's all of the same stuff for the same reason 40 years later. Also, the climactic scene got a huge eye roll from me as I'm sure it will from most attendees.

If you haven't seen the first one, you can jump right in with this one and it will scare you stiff. If you have seen the first one you may want to go ahead and skip this one since there is nothing new for you to enjoy.

They set it up for a third film, which I understand from a business standpoint, because this franchise will make a ton of cash for the studio, but unless there is a significant plot change it will probably just be more of the same.