Due respect to A24 marketers but the slogan that appears on the new poster for J.C. Chandor‘s A Most Violent Year is a bit of a head-scratcher. Obviously the result of any earthly endeavor is always in question, depending in part on the particular path (method, approach, strategy, technique) chosen by the players. One assumes, therefore, that the “result” alluded to is death and therefore “the path you take to get there” is the only thing that matters. In other words, it’s not who wins but how you play the game. But death is not a “result” of a life — it’s simply a biological inevitability. A “result” always alludes to an end-game payoff or consequence that comes at the end of a practical endeavor — a winning of an election or a woman, the obtaining of a contract, the paying of a parking ticket when you park illegally, a fatal overdose when you shoot extra-strong heroin, the winning of a world series, etc. But as noted, these things are never done deals until they happen. So the slogan, no offense, doesn’t quite add up. For me. Maybe someone can help me out.

Incidentally: It was very wise of AFI Fest, Chandor and A24 to decide to screen A Most Violent Year at the Dolby theatre for the 11.6 kickoff of AFI Fest rather than at the sonically-troubled TCL Chinese, which is where Chris Nolan‘s Interstellar had its infamous press screening last Thursday. The sound was so bassy and soupy that many people couldn’t hear half the dialogue. Later today I’ll be attending a 35mm make-up screening of Interstellar that will offer, I’m presuming, much clearer dialogue.