How does J.C. Chandor‘s A Most Violent Year play for the second time, having initially seen it only 24 hours earlier? No diminishment. Enhanced even on a couple of levels. The surprise-and-discovery thing can’t be repeated, of course, but it felt just as strong and clean and well-ordered and so well acted. I was re-absorbing the discipline and clarity and the general downmarket, snow-blanketed New York-iness of the early ’80s, which Chandor and his team have recreated to a T. Save me, bathe me, take me away, send me over the falls, etc. Nice hangin’ after the screening with director-writer Chandor, Oscar Isaac (now portraying Yonkers mayor Nick Wasicsko in David Simon and Paul Haggis’s Show Me A Hero, an HBO miniseries) and producers Neal Dodson and Anna Gerb. Here’s to my third and fourth viewings.


Following last night’s WME screening of A Most Violent Year (l. to r.) producer Neal Dodson, director-writer J.C. Chandor, star Oscar Isaac, producer Anna Gerb.

Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain during Thursday night’s AFI Fest after-party at Hollywood Roosevelt.

Most Violent Year costars Ben Rosenfield (Boardwalk Empire, Affluenza), David Oyelowo (MLK in Selma) during Hollywood Roosevelt gathering.