All star cast, probably one of the best that have come together in a film. Ever. Every one at the top of their game. Score fit perfectly. It's not a Hollywood action, Not over the top and not boring either. It doesn't fixate too much on anything in particular and just tells it's story coherently. You can't get too much better than that. A script with touch of sincerity, with a director whom knew exactly where to take it, and actors and actresses able to sink into the roles and bring it to life. It's not the most amazing movie I've ever seen but it's a masterpiece of sorts, for sure.
270 Reviews
Why such low rating?
r1der21 May 2020
Good performance of the main actors
gilgongo198020 February 2020
Flawed but the Setting and Performances Are Wonderful
Michael_Elliott9 December 2013
Out of the Furnace (2013)
*** (out of 4)
Flawed but powerful drama bout a man (Christian Bale) who wants to go into the mountains and seek some justice when his younger brother (Casey Affleck) goes missing. I'm not going to reveal too much of the plot outside that basic information because there's actually a lot more to the film than what the trailer would have you believe. Director Scott Cooper certainly knows how to build up an atmosphere because this, along with the great performances, makes this worth seeing even with some of the flaws. I understand why this film is getting mixed reviews because I think a lot of people are going to be put off by how slow the build-up is and at the pacing the director uses. In fact, I thought that the pacing was a little bit off early on in the picture and I also thought that a few scenes could have been trimmed down a bit. With that said, there's no question that the setting and atmosphere are spot on and this is enough of a reason to recommend the film. The backwoods settings are perfectly captured by the director as is the desperation of this small town as well as the lead character. The Bale character suffers a lot of loss throughout the picture and as the events pile up it just makes the ending all the more clear. I thought the lead character was perfectly written as was the younger brother, although some of the war stuff is pushed a bit. Outside the atmosphere, the other big reason to see the picture are for the incredibly intense performances. Bale offers up yet another wonderful performance. Even though the character really doesn't say a whole lot, the way Bale's eyes and facial gestures look, you just know what he's feeling at all times. I thought Bale's intensity was perfect but so was the performance by Affleck. The character actor just keeps getting better. A "troubled younger brother" is something that has been played to death but Affleck finds a way to make it original. Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and especially Woody Harrelson are also very effective in their supporting roles. Another major victory goes to the music score, which perfectly suits the atmosphere and violence of the story. OUT OF THE FURNACE deals with a lot of issues that many other films have dealt with over the decades. With that said, even with its flaws, the director manages to slowly build up a rather powerful film that delivers characters that you care for as well as hate.
*** (out of 4)
Flawed but powerful drama bout a man (Christian Bale) who wants to go into the mountains and seek some justice when his younger brother (Casey Affleck) goes missing. I'm not going to reveal too much of the plot outside that basic information because there's actually a lot more to the film than what the trailer would have you believe. Director Scott Cooper certainly knows how to build up an atmosphere because this, along with the great performances, makes this worth seeing even with some of the flaws. I understand why this film is getting mixed reviews because I think a lot of people are going to be put off by how slow the build-up is and at the pacing the director uses. In fact, I thought that the pacing was a little bit off early on in the picture and I also thought that a few scenes could have been trimmed down a bit. With that said, there's no question that the setting and atmosphere are spot on and this is enough of a reason to recommend the film. The backwoods settings are perfectly captured by the director as is the desperation of this small town as well as the lead character. The Bale character suffers a lot of loss throughout the picture and as the events pile up it just makes the ending all the more clear. I thought the lead character was perfectly written as was the younger brother, although some of the war stuff is pushed a bit. Outside the atmosphere, the other big reason to see the picture are for the incredibly intense performances. Bale offers up yet another wonderful performance. Even though the character really doesn't say a whole lot, the way Bale's eyes and facial gestures look, you just know what he's feeling at all times. I thought Bale's intensity was perfect but so was the performance by Affleck. The character actor just keeps getting better. A "troubled younger brother" is something that has been played to death but Affleck finds a way to make it original. Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and especially Woody Harrelson are also very effective in their supporting roles. Another major victory goes to the music score, which perfectly suits the atmosphere and violence of the story. OUT OF THE FURNACE deals with a lot of issues that many other films have dealt with over the decades. With that said, even with its flaws, the director manages to slowly build up a rather powerful film that delivers characters that you care for as well as hate.
Great Actors
laragi25 March 2020
A Promising Start That Leads to Run-Of-The-Mill Fare
FilmMuscle8 December 2013
An all-star cast, comprising Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, and Zoe Saldana (wow!), is cast into the cavernous of troubles. Two brothers- one a former solider who served in Iraq (Rodney, played by Casey Affleck) and the other an impoverished factory worker (Russell, played by Christian Bale) - embark on vastly disparate paths. Their relationship has lost its bygone flare, considering Rodney's extensively damaged psyche and his desire to stray away from standard work, instead choosing to make money off of brutal street fighting and gambling. When he asininely involves himself with ruthless wagering criminals (led by Woody Harrelson), all circumstances invert and numerous lives are consequently affected.
The first half of the film carries an incredibly strong premise and features a truly gripping narrative that focuses on character development/characterization, which compellingly leads to the ultimate predicament. In essence, a major portion of the film's enticement should be accredited to the exceptionally powerful performances, and Casey Affleck remarkably fights for that recognition by showcasing his deteriorating soul. I mention Affleck specifically because he rarely receives ample praise for his impressive renditions. Furthermore, in that first half, the pacing is smooth and adequate as you sympathize with these distressed characters and are stunned by a sudden unfortunate incident after another, personalities still further strengthening. The arresting visual look of the film partially produces that final element of attraction to the end product.
As we proceed though and the midpoint sequence comes and goes, the pacing suddenly decelerates and we encounter additional characters and arcs that are frankly unnecessary and don't benefit the picture in any way. Once the credits roll, you don't feel like Forest Whitaker's character deserved the amount of screen time he ended up with, portraying an archetypal police officer and barely anything more. We're met with countless prolonged and dispensable scenes that are more stereotypical than beneficial to the film's substance and overall plot. The excitement of the first half, fueled by unpredictability and conflict, takes a nosedive and the thriller chooses to tediously capture the lengthy search for the villain alternatively. Finally, the audience is presented with an anticlimactic conclusion that again feels far too familiar and unsatisfying despite the enthralling story beforehand. There's essentially nothing unique in its final act to induce the amount of memorability that the first half accomplished since it ends like your typical run-of-the-mill revenge flick.
In sum, Scott Cooper effectively conveys the rural and destitute atmosphere, and the film is genuinely gritty and honest in its depiction of labor and the unrewarding lives that are led by courageous soldiers upon returning home. These are the lives of a considerably high percentage of America's population and the movie's thematic material speaks volumes on this controversial and profoundly relevant matter. Out of the Furnace certainly forces its viewers to react in particularly shocking sequences, eliciting a variety of emotions. Even though the film's quality noticeably degrades while it advances, this tale will undoubtedly provoke intrigue and fervor until the screen fades to black.
The first half of the film carries an incredibly strong premise and features a truly gripping narrative that focuses on character development/characterization, which compellingly leads to the ultimate predicament. In essence, a major portion of the film's enticement should be accredited to the exceptionally powerful performances, and Casey Affleck remarkably fights for that recognition by showcasing his deteriorating soul. I mention Affleck specifically because he rarely receives ample praise for his impressive renditions. Furthermore, in that first half, the pacing is smooth and adequate as you sympathize with these distressed characters and are stunned by a sudden unfortunate incident after another, personalities still further strengthening. The arresting visual look of the film partially produces that final element of attraction to the end product.
As we proceed though and the midpoint sequence comes and goes, the pacing suddenly decelerates and we encounter additional characters and arcs that are frankly unnecessary and don't benefit the picture in any way. Once the credits roll, you don't feel like Forest Whitaker's character deserved the amount of screen time he ended up with, portraying an archetypal police officer and barely anything more. We're met with countless prolonged and dispensable scenes that are more stereotypical than beneficial to the film's substance and overall plot. The excitement of the first half, fueled by unpredictability and conflict, takes a nosedive and the thriller chooses to tediously capture the lengthy search for the villain alternatively. Finally, the audience is presented with an anticlimactic conclusion that again feels far too familiar and unsatisfying despite the enthralling story beforehand. There's essentially nothing unique in its final act to induce the amount of memorability that the first half accomplished since it ends like your typical run-of-the-mill revenge flick.
In sum, Scott Cooper effectively conveys the rural and destitute atmosphere, and the film is genuinely gritty and honest in its depiction of labor and the unrewarding lives that are led by courageous soldiers upon returning home. These are the lives of a considerably high percentage of America's population and the movie's thematic material speaks volumes on this controversial and profoundly relevant matter. Out of the Furnace certainly forces its viewers to react in particularly shocking sequences, eliciting a variety of emotions. Even though the film's quality noticeably degrades while it advances, this tale will undoubtedly provoke intrigue and fervor until the screen fades to black.
Great Action Turns Into a Sleeper
JeffsReviews19 December 2013
Maybe I was just expecting too much. Having seen the trailer, I was wanting to see this one for a while and excited to finally get an opportunity. It started great - lots of action and let's face it - you really can't go wrong with these actors. They're superb. But.. even great acting couldn't save this one. I found myself clock staring for the whole last hour. The build to the climax was far too long and the climax was certainly the worst part of the film. It was one of those movies where you anticipate the many exciting, different ways the story could play out and when you see how it actually does, you just wish you had spent the night laying on the couch and watching something on Netflix. Wait for it to come out on Redbox. Shouldn't be long.
All-too-familiar mood piece
Leofwine_draca28 July 2016
OUT OF THE FURNACE is a simmering story of revenge, betrayal, and murder, brought to life via a couple of volatile performances from the leading actors. Altogether it's rather familiar story and one which has been done time and time again in the cinemas, but then this film isn't really about the story at all but rather the mood, the ambiance of the thing. The director's goal is to realise some of the simmering tension of the likes of BADLANDS, charting a ruthless small town America where death and destruction are just around the corner and people are happy to turn a blind eye to such events in their midst.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of story in this film, which seems to drag out the most basic plot ingredients to double their real length. However, the performances more than make up for it. Christian Bale is saddled with what amounts to a rather basic character as the lead, but he does very well with it (unsurprisingly) and is 100% realistic. Casey Affleck is more of an actor I can take or leave, and I found I didn't really care about his predicament. However, Woody Harrelson is the scene-stealer here, portraying a man full of bullish aggression, a guy who you can feel the hatred coming off in waves. He's completely scary, the sort of person you would pray at never having to cross paths with in real life, and his performance alone gives this film an extra star.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of story in this film, which seems to drag out the most basic plot ingredients to double their real length. However, the performances more than make up for it. Christian Bale is saddled with what amounts to a rather basic character as the lead, but he does very well with it (unsurprisingly) and is 100% realistic. Casey Affleck is more of an actor I can take or leave, and I found I didn't really care about his predicament. However, Woody Harrelson is the scene-stealer here, portraying a man full of bullish aggression, a guy who you can feel the hatred coming off in waves. He's completely scary, the sort of person you would pray at never having to cross paths with in real life, and his performance alone gives this film an extra star.
Powerful but lacks depth
christophe9230026 January 2014
Scott Cooper perfectly shaped his scenario thanks to a captivating cinematography and mise-en-scène that brilliantly underline and emphasize the cold and intriguing atmosphere of the story and this industrial suburb on the decline. The actors are also very good, even though you have to admit Christian Bale is the one who stands out in a very nuanced and introverted role.
Despite everything, the banality of the story is a little disappointing, granted the dynamic is ultra fluid, but the plot is very simplistic, the characters aren't exploited enough nor is the social and economic context which clearly was the purpose. In the end, you're under the impression that not much happened, feeling emphasized by a relatively long movie.
Out of the Furnace is therefore rather ambiguous, on one hand it is undeniably very powerful with a top-notch cinematography, but on the other its banality and lack of depth are prejudicial.
Despite everything, the banality of the story is a little disappointing, granted the dynamic is ultra fluid, but the plot is very simplistic, the characters aren't exploited enough nor is the social and economic context which clearly was the purpose. In the end, you're under the impression that not much happened, feeling emphasized by a relatively long movie.
Out of the Furnace is therefore rather ambiguous, on one hand it is undeniably very powerful with a top-notch cinematography, but on the other its banality and lack of depth are prejudicial.
Still an accurate portrait of many towns in America today
twcrossman6 December 2013
Weeks before I took the time to see Out of the Furnace on its opening day today, I saw an interview with the cast where star Christian Bale made a comment about how the script and the character really stuck with him before he'd ever agreed to take the role. While I normally hate to see a film based on something ANY of the actors involved have said (because really, who WOULDN'T give their film a nice push to the press?), I had a gut feeling I'd want to see this one. It's a good thing I tend to go with my gut, because if you watch for two hours with an open mind, Out of the Furnace is certainly filled with dilemmas people across America STILL face on a daily basis -- and that alone is why it will hit too close to home. It is why some people will say it is "too" gritty, "too" depressing, "too" much of something.
I'm a New Jersey native, and my state is filled with many towns that are run down and haven't seen anything positive happen in them in decades. A town not far from me lost its heart when a tea factory was forced out and jobs outsourced to China in the 90s. Just across the border, 20 minutes into Pennsylvania, is an old steel town (not the one in the film) that drove workers out of their mills in the 80s, the old blast furnaces still towering over the "south side" of town that is dotted with row homes. If you've ever driven through Michigan, at least a handful of cities there would paint the same picture as anything you'll see in Out of the Furnace. In Indiana, the same. I point this out because several moviegoers in the theater where I saw the film were saying that Out of the Furnace paints an unrealistic portrait of the "worst" parts of America, making them seem worse than they are. But until people have lived that lifestyle, it's easy to say that it doesn't still exist. What I appreciated about Furnace is that Cooper had the guts to make a gritty film that points out that there are towns filled with good people who can never get beyond their "hard times".
Is it unrealistic, perhaps, to assume that bare-knuckle fighting rings are organized nationwide? Perhaps. It doesn't mean, however, that there aren't plenty of illegal activities happening at the hands of "desperate" men (many of our nation's veterans are homeless, don't forget). Cooper chose Braddock as a great setting for this film, and he chose great actors to portray "everyman". And honestly, I see why he waited for Christian Bale to come around to making this film; nobody could have pulled off Russell Baze the way that Bale does -- with his quiet desperation, his eyes telling you everything that is churning in his gut, the weariness settled into his body making him sometimes appear aged beyond his years. Where Bale brings a quietness to Russell, Casey Affleck brings the loud emotive bursts and the scrappiness of his youth to Rodney Baze, and the two work wonderfully in balancing the "brotherhood" aspect of the film. While I fault Cooper for failing to tell us more of the relationship between the two, I feel that both actors worked hard to bring the familial bond to the forefront of the story.
There are several aspects to the storytelling that are to be admired. For one, the juxtaposition between Russell out hunting while his brother is being driven to what could potentially be his death match -- a "hunt" of his own -- was brilliant in its pacing. The same can be said for the scene where we assume the "bad" guy (Woody Harrelson taking a terrifying turn as the film's antagonist) is going to finally be caught by the law enforcement swarming his home. And finally, the bridge scene between Russell and Lena (Baze's girlfriend played admiringly well by Zoe Saldana) is one that gives a heart to a film that is otherwise dark and depressing. It's because of moments like these that I was able to overlook the film's obvious flaws. There is patchy storytelling (blame the script writers), but the actors all grab hold of the material they've been given and work well with it despite its shortcomings. What I ultimately applaud Out of the Furnace for is the fact that these characters could still represent many people in this country and throughout the world. How far would we ALL go, trying so hard to be "good" day in and day out, waiting for a break, trying to earn the extra dollar...before we got tired of the rest of the world getting ahead without us, and we take matters into our own hands?
Out of the Furnace poses this thought-provoking question and lets the viewer see how you can go down either path. Everyone wants to say that they'd still stay on the straight and narrow, but until you can put yourselves into the shows of these characters, you just truly never know. Ask yourself what you would do if Rodney Baze was YOUR brother? How far would you go for family -- for a family member who had put his own life on the line for this country? How far would you go in a town where everything else had shut down around you? Cooper doesn't give us the best film of the year with Out of the Furnace, but he and this cast give you plenty to think about long after the credits roll.
I'm a New Jersey native, and my state is filled with many towns that are run down and haven't seen anything positive happen in them in decades. A town not far from me lost its heart when a tea factory was forced out and jobs outsourced to China in the 90s. Just across the border, 20 minutes into Pennsylvania, is an old steel town (not the one in the film) that drove workers out of their mills in the 80s, the old blast furnaces still towering over the "south side" of town that is dotted with row homes. If you've ever driven through Michigan, at least a handful of cities there would paint the same picture as anything you'll see in Out of the Furnace. In Indiana, the same. I point this out because several moviegoers in the theater where I saw the film were saying that Out of the Furnace paints an unrealistic portrait of the "worst" parts of America, making them seem worse than they are. But until people have lived that lifestyle, it's easy to say that it doesn't still exist. What I appreciated about Furnace is that Cooper had the guts to make a gritty film that points out that there are towns filled with good people who can never get beyond their "hard times".
Is it unrealistic, perhaps, to assume that bare-knuckle fighting rings are organized nationwide? Perhaps. It doesn't mean, however, that there aren't plenty of illegal activities happening at the hands of "desperate" men (many of our nation's veterans are homeless, don't forget). Cooper chose Braddock as a great setting for this film, and he chose great actors to portray "everyman". And honestly, I see why he waited for Christian Bale to come around to making this film; nobody could have pulled off Russell Baze the way that Bale does -- with his quiet desperation, his eyes telling you everything that is churning in his gut, the weariness settled into his body making him sometimes appear aged beyond his years. Where Bale brings a quietness to Russell, Casey Affleck brings the loud emotive bursts and the scrappiness of his youth to Rodney Baze, and the two work wonderfully in balancing the "brotherhood" aspect of the film. While I fault Cooper for failing to tell us more of the relationship between the two, I feel that both actors worked hard to bring the familial bond to the forefront of the story.
There are several aspects to the storytelling that are to be admired. For one, the juxtaposition between Russell out hunting while his brother is being driven to what could potentially be his death match -- a "hunt" of his own -- was brilliant in its pacing. The same can be said for the scene where we assume the "bad" guy (Woody Harrelson taking a terrifying turn as the film's antagonist) is going to finally be caught by the law enforcement swarming his home. And finally, the bridge scene between Russell and Lena (Baze's girlfriend played admiringly well by Zoe Saldana) is one that gives a heart to a film that is otherwise dark and depressing. It's because of moments like these that I was able to overlook the film's obvious flaws. There is patchy storytelling (blame the script writers), but the actors all grab hold of the material they've been given and work well with it despite its shortcomings. What I ultimately applaud Out of the Furnace for is the fact that these characters could still represent many people in this country and throughout the world. How far would we ALL go, trying so hard to be "good" day in and day out, waiting for a break, trying to earn the extra dollar...before we got tired of the rest of the world getting ahead without us, and we take matters into our own hands?
Out of the Furnace poses this thought-provoking question and lets the viewer see how you can go down either path. Everyone wants to say that they'd still stay on the straight and narrow, but until you can put yourselves into the shows of these characters, you just truly never know. Ask yourself what you would do if Rodney Baze was YOUR brother? How far would you go for family -- for a family member who had put his own life on the line for this country? How far would you go in a town where everything else had shut down around you? Cooper doesn't give us the best film of the year with Out of the Furnace, but he and this cast give you plenty to think about long after the credits roll.
I got a problem with everybody.
reddiemurf813 February 2022
Harlan Degroat (Harrelson) is mean spirited sociopath. The opening scene shows him terrorizing the woman with him, beating a guy senseless, and challenging any onlooker to take him on. On top of his lunacy, he's also addicted to meth, and heads up his own illegal fighting matches near the mountain community where he lives. No one dares to speak a word against him, and the law won't go near him. He's basically a backwater kingpin, you could say.
Russell Baze (Bale) is a simple guy. He works as a furnace operator at the steel mill in his hometown, loves his girlfriend Lena (Saldana)(and has plans to marry her), and does what he can to try and keep his little brother Rodney (Affleck) out of trouble with his gambling debts. Rodney has been spending his time betting on anything he can before he has to begin his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. Unfortunately he has had a really bad streak of luck as of late, so much so that it's said to Russell that his brother might be safer in Iraq than at home. Knowing this, Russell spends his time working double shifts to pay off his brothers debts.
One evening Russell was waiting at their local bar to meet Rodney for a drink. Rodney was a no show, but Russell had a few drinks while he waited. Eventually Russell heads home to see Lena, but in a cruel twist of fate he crashes into a car that is backing up onto the road (Russell wasn't driving crazy or swerving, he just looked down for a second to turn the radio dial. Could've been anyone of us).
When we next see Russell, Rodney is visiting him in prison. Will Rodney be able to stay out of trouble while Russell is locked up?
This movie is far from original,, but the SUPERB cast makes up for that lack in a big way. Bale, Affleck, Dafoe, Harrelson, Saldana, Whitaker, Shepard,,, need I say more? Their performances make this movie so much more than an average repeat of the same ole same ole. It's a barely 7 rating, imo,, but if you want to see great actors acting,, this is one you could certainly check out.
Russell Baze (Bale) is a simple guy. He works as a furnace operator at the steel mill in his hometown, loves his girlfriend Lena (Saldana)(and has plans to marry her), and does what he can to try and keep his little brother Rodney (Affleck) out of trouble with his gambling debts. Rodney has been spending his time betting on anything he can before he has to begin his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. Unfortunately he has had a really bad streak of luck as of late, so much so that it's said to Russell that his brother might be safer in Iraq than at home. Knowing this, Russell spends his time working double shifts to pay off his brothers debts.
One evening Russell was waiting at their local bar to meet Rodney for a drink. Rodney was a no show, but Russell had a few drinks while he waited. Eventually Russell heads home to see Lena, but in a cruel twist of fate he crashes into a car that is backing up onto the road (Russell wasn't driving crazy or swerving, he just looked down for a second to turn the radio dial. Could've been anyone of us).
When we next see Russell, Rodney is visiting him in prison. Will Rodney be able to stay out of trouble while Russell is locked up?
This movie is far from original,, but the SUPERB cast makes up for that lack in a big way. Bale, Affleck, Dafoe, Harrelson, Saldana, Whitaker, Shepard,,, need I say more? Their performances make this movie so much more than an average repeat of the same ole same ole. It's a barely 7 rating, imo,, but if you want to see great actors acting,, this is one you could certainly check out.
A powerful film with among the best screen performances I've seen
nanvan1082 December 2013
When I saw the cast list, I knew there would be some wonderful performances, but I was surprised at how they uniformly surpassed my expectations. I believe it's Bale's best work so far, and that's saying something. Likewise with Affleck, Harrelson and Saldana. The rest of the cast was wonderful as well.
There is one scene in particular (I won't spoil it here) where an actor lets loose in a way that careful directors and nervous producers would normally edit out. I applaud Scott Cooper for breaking the rule that films are meant to entertain (and earn millions), and raw emotion that feels too close to reality is to be avoided. It's inelegant, and not what we want to see from stars, especially attractive ones. Cooper lets people be people, and I find that incredibly refreshing.
I was immediately invested in the characters -- warts and all. As painful as many of their decisions were to watch, I went along for those very bumpy rides, because any other course taken would be untrue for these characters.
I recently saw "12 Years A Slave," and feel inclined to mention that I sense a new, somewhat subversive style of filmmaking emerge -- and maybe a wonderful new culture in Hollywood. (At least I hope so.) It's one where films about extraordinary hardship are treated a way that doesn't hold back, glamorize or otherwise mollify them.
In my opinion, when Hollywood slicks up violence (as it almost always does), it informs us that we shouldn't really be moved by its tragedy. We aren't shaken to the core and inspired to stop suffering wherever we can. That's shameful. So kudos to Cooper and to Steve McQueen for embracing a reality in their films that reconnects us with humanity instead of suggesting it's okay to blithely mock it.
If I have any criticism of this film, it's that two scenes where one plays out as a metaphor for the other may not have been necessary. Otherwise, I feel the writing is disciplined and at the same time very rich and rewarding.
The potential horrors of poverty and a lack of opportunity on display in this film are dealt with in a way that exempts political bias, and that in itself is a huge accomplishment.
A sense of hope exists amidst the heartache of this film. I will see it again.
There is one scene in particular (I won't spoil it here) where an actor lets loose in a way that careful directors and nervous producers would normally edit out. I applaud Scott Cooper for breaking the rule that films are meant to entertain (and earn millions), and raw emotion that feels too close to reality is to be avoided. It's inelegant, and not what we want to see from stars, especially attractive ones. Cooper lets people be people, and I find that incredibly refreshing.
I was immediately invested in the characters -- warts and all. As painful as many of their decisions were to watch, I went along for those very bumpy rides, because any other course taken would be untrue for these characters.
I recently saw "12 Years A Slave," and feel inclined to mention that I sense a new, somewhat subversive style of filmmaking emerge -- and maybe a wonderful new culture in Hollywood. (At least I hope so.) It's one where films about extraordinary hardship are treated a way that doesn't hold back, glamorize or otherwise mollify them.
In my opinion, when Hollywood slicks up violence (as it almost always does), it informs us that we shouldn't really be moved by its tragedy. We aren't shaken to the core and inspired to stop suffering wherever we can. That's shameful. So kudos to Cooper and to Steve McQueen for embracing a reality in their films that reconnects us with humanity instead of suggesting it's okay to blithely mock it.
If I have any criticism of this film, it's that two scenes where one plays out as a metaphor for the other may not have been necessary. Otherwise, I feel the writing is disciplined and at the same time very rich and rewarding.
The potential horrors of poverty and a lack of opportunity on display in this film are dealt with in a way that exempts political bias, and that in itself is a huge accomplishment.
A sense of hope exists amidst the heartache of this film. I will see it again.
Could have been a classic
kyledonaldson-5724521 June 2022
There are so many great things about this movie but I believe ultimately it was a missed opportunity that needed to have the story worked on. Should of spent much more time and built some serious tension when Bale was up in the mountains investigating. Ending was a bit of a disappointment. The overall cast and dark feel of the movie was great though.
Fine cast, failure of a script
AaronWidera15 December 2013
The fine cast assembled for this film makes me wonder what they saw in the script. Was it a matter of one actor signing on, and others wanting to work with him (I say him because the only female in the film is Zoe Saldana, in a one-dimensional and thankless role). Was it that the director used to be an actor and knows all these people? Was it because he had success with Crazy Heart?
Other reviews basically already touch on the problems here: it means nothing. I wanted to like the film, but I walked out of the theater not knowing what I had just seen (the ending is confusing, ridiculous, and poorly done). The film takes itself far too seriously to get away with just being entertaining, and when you don't have a clue what the whole point of the movie was, that's a bad thing. Things happen in the film without really coming together and create a cohesive narrative where you feel that there's any growth or direction. Perhaps that's the intent, but any theme or themes were underdeveloped and not apparent. I find the comparisons to Deerhunter insulting, personally.
The actors do a fine job, although I feel there is some miscasting in the movie. Would Forest Whitaker really be able to attract Zoe Saldana? Nothing in the movie gave me any reason to think they had a believable relationship. Frankly, nothing in the film convinced me that Saldana would even stay in a town like Braddock. Bale is good, as is Affleck and Harrelson, but I didn't really connect with anyone except Affleck's character.
Definitely a missed opportunity and a disappointment.
Other reviews basically already touch on the problems here: it means nothing. I wanted to like the film, but I walked out of the theater not knowing what I had just seen (the ending is confusing, ridiculous, and poorly done). The film takes itself far too seriously to get away with just being entertaining, and when you don't have a clue what the whole point of the movie was, that's a bad thing. Things happen in the film without really coming together and create a cohesive narrative where you feel that there's any growth or direction. Perhaps that's the intent, but any theme or themes were underdeveloped and not apparent. I find the comparisons to Deerhunter insulting, personally.
The actors do a fine job, although I feel there is some miscasting in the movie. Would Forest Whitaker really be able to attract Zoe Saldana? Nothing in the movie gave me any reason to think they had a believable relationship. Frankly, nothing in the film convinced me that Saldana would even stay in a town like Braddock. Bale is good, as is Affleck and Harrelson, but I didn't really connect with anyone except Affleck's character.
Definitely a missed opportunity and a disappointment.
A bit slow, still worth watching
garcinder-2213918 June 2022
Bale and Affleck elevate a decent film in competent hands.
Sergeant_Tibbs27 December 2013
Scott Cooper's debut Crazy Heart felt like it came from an experienced and mature director, but it was too bland and predictable to be anything truly compelling or moving. The premise of his followup Out Of The Furnace is nothing new, it has the potential to add an essential grit to Cooper's style. But it seemed to overcompensate for Crazy Heart. It makes you feel, but its dreary melancholy just makes you feel sad and that can only be satisfying in certain doses. Fortunately, it has plenty of energy to back it up. Bale and Affleck are a great pair and while their characters may not be the most interesting, they're a delight to watch when they're on screen together with that brotherhood bond feeling real. Unfortunately some of the cast are dialed to a different frequency with Harrelson and Whitaker misfiring. Its first half is entertaining, taking many turns per minute, even if they can be melodramatic at times it's the sincerity of the actors that makes it work. Unfortunately the momentum slows down in the second half when it finally reaches the plot promised in the trailer and it appears to deflate to its inevitable end. It's a good film in competent hands, but nothing special.
7/10
7/10
Characters clearly take precedence here with admirable results.
nesfilmreviews6 December 2013
In director Scott Cooper's "Out of the Furnace," characters clearly take precedence over plot while maintaining a subdued tone that highlights some fantastic performances. However, it's constrained by its meager, inescapable storyline of vengeance that ultimately disappoints. "Furnace" is a much darker and less audience- friendly package than Cooper's Oscar-winning 2009 debut "Crazy Horse." His second film captures the essence of an America slowly crumbling amid economic decay. Events unfold in "Out of the Furnace" with a violent, unpredictable force that life often presents, as opposed to your standard, reassuring screenplay.
Filmed in the working-class eastern Pittsburgh neighborhood of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has followed in his terminally ill father's footsteps by making a living at the town's steel mill. After serving a four-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, Russell attempts to put his life back together. He keeps a low profile, but must contend with his old girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana), who is now living with police chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker). His brother, Rodney Jr. (Casey Affleck), is an Iraq War vet with PTSD and gambling issues, who chooses to enter a backwoods fight club as a means of earning money. Rodney and a small-time promoter John Petty (Willem Dafoe) screw things up and are unable to pay a ruthless criminal named Curtis DeGroat (Woody Harrelson). Refusing to acknowledge the dangers that lie ahead, Rodney finds himself in grave danger with unforgiving men. Russell, who is trying to reorganize his life, now sets out to protect his younger sibling.
When all is said and done, the movie boils down to a deceptively simple tale of two brothers coupled with a barebones tale of pure, unadulterated vigilantism. Though Cooper consistently uses formal parallelism to link the brothers' dual narratives, the last shot of the film may be its most telling, as it speaks to their constant, all- encompassing sense of imprisonment.
Cooper maintains the threat of violence with a guarded presence of despair from the beginning, which can get difficult for some and is often heartbreaking to watch. Cooper isn't exactly breaking new ground here with "Furnace," and he has a tendency to lean on contrivances and misdirection in place of suspense at times. However, his command is admirable, and the performances of Bale, Affleck, and Harrelson unquestionably warrant high praise. For those who like their revenge served cold, "Out of the Furnace" is the very essence of performance.
Filmed in the working-class eastern Pittsburgh neighborhood of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has followed in his terminally ill father's footsteps by making a living at the town's steel mill. After serving a four-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, Russell attempts to put his life back together. He keeps a low profile, but must contend with his old girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana), who is now living with police chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker). His brother, Rodney Jr. (Casey Affleck), is an Iraq War vet with PTSD and gambling issues, who chooses to enter a backwoods fight club as a means of earning money. Rodney and a small-time promoter John Petty (Willem Dafoe) screw things up and are unable to pay a ruthless criminal named Curtis DeGroat (Woody Harrelson). Refusing to acknowledge the dangers that lie ahead, Rodney finds himself in grave danger with unforgiving men. Russell, who is trying to reorganize his life, now sets out to protect his younger sibling.
When all is said and done, the movie boils down to a deceptively simple tale of two brothers coupled with a barebones tale of pure, unadulterated vigilantism. Though Cooper consistently uses formal parallelism to link the brothers' dual narratives, the last shot of the film may be its most telling, as it speaks to their constant, all- encompassing sense of imprisonment.
Cooper maintains the threat of violence with a guarded presence of despair from the beginning, which can get difficult for some and is often heartbreaking to watch. Cooper isn't exactly breaking new ground here with "Furnace," and he has a tendency to lean on contrivances and misdirection in place of suspense at times. However, his command is admirable, and the performances of Bale, Affleck, and Harrelson unquestionably warrant high praise. For those who like their revenge served cold, "Out of the Furnace" is the very essence of performance.
Scott Cooper's 'Out of the Furnace' Loses Steam but Affleck shines...
ClaytonDavis1 December 2013
There are great things to admire about filmmaker Scott Cooper, who made an admirable breakthrough in 2009 when directed Jeff Bridges to an Oscar win for Crazy Heart. Adapting the film from the novel by Thomas Cobb, Cooper had a foundation to follow in bringing his story of Bad Blake to the screen. In his long-awaited follow-up Out of the Furnace, where he gathers an impressive cast that includes Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, and Woody Harrelson, the co-writer and director lays it on thick and slow, ultimately failing to sustain emotion to be carried throughout his picture.
Cooper's latest tells the story of Russell Baze (played by Bale), a hard-working man who cares for his ailing father and lives with his beautiful girlfriend Lena (played by Zoe Saldana). When his war-veteran brother Rodney (played by Affleck) gets involved with illegal street- fighting and ultimately disappears, with no strong searching from authorities, Russell takes matters into his own hands.
Out of the Furnace begins with such strong promise. Building a solid foundation in character development, Cooper and co-writer Brad Inglesby give Russell and Rodney authentic behaviors and a relationship that feels believable. When dealing with the film's villain Harlan DeGroat, played by the talented Woody Harrelson, the two scribes don't explore enough avenues to have him become a three-dimensional character, and not a blanket of evil caricatures that we've seen in movies before. The film opens with Harlan watching a drive-in movie and unleashing his fury on his date, and a bystander that tries to intervene. I tend to appreciate some motivation for a character's actions. You can't just make someone horrible just for the sake of your movie. Why is Harlan so evil, and most of all, why is everyone so scared of this guy, even when he's by himself?
Christian Bale internalizes most of his emotions, bringing them to the brim of explosion. His Russell is damaged, losing so much of himself throughout the narrative, from family members to his own dignity. It's another great performance from the Oscar-winning Bale. Casey Affleck proves to be one of the most talented actors working today, bringing such raw rage to his broken soldier. He's the film's true highlight and most deserving of any accolades the film may receive.
Regulated to one very intense and brilliantly constructed scene with Bale, Zoe Saldana proves to have the goods to go beyond any of her genre roles in "Avatar" and "Star Trek" if given the opportunity. Woody Harrelson does his best with the information he's given. He strikes fear into the viewer with just a look or a sneer, but with such little understanding about what Harlan is about, it doesn't succeed in the way it should have. Sam Shepard and Forest Whitaker are blips on the radar but have no real sense of purpose to the narrative, though they are serviceable.
Cooper also does a great job capturing this rural culture of a small Pennsylvania town. Locals that work at the mill and later gather at the bar to drink their night away feels authentic. Utilizing Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi certainly helps as the talented DP keeps our story close and intimate. Takayanagi captures the entire rooms for the audience to gaze at. Intimate bedroom behavior is placed into perspective when aligned with a shot of the room where a closet is in sight with no doors and damp, dingy walls. The score by Dickon Hinchliffe is the film's strongest technical aspect. The composer, who's worked on Rampart and Winter's Bone, has a knack for these type of films and elevating them to their true potential.
As the film continues to build, to what we believe will be an epic finale of revenge, just becomes the most anti-climactic ending of the year. While Cooper formulates a well-constructed set piece, and composer Hinchliffe and DP Takayanagi are well-equipped for the challenge, the script offers no interesting or payoff to the two-hour investment the audience makes into the story. We are left just mildly and unenthusiastically satisfied.
Overall, the film is simply atmospheric; showing the promise of Cooper has a filmmaker if given stronger material to direct. Out of the Furnace is a mildly impressive work but worth it's time at the movie theater.
Read more reviews and awards coverage @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)
Cooper's latest tells the story of Russell Baze (played by Bale), a hard-working man who cares for his ailing father and lives with his beautiful girlfriend Lena (played by Zoe Saldana). When his war-veteran brother Rodney (played by Affleck) gets involved with illegal street- fighting and ultimately disappears, with no strong searching from authorities, Russell takes matters into his own hands.
Out of the Furnace begins with such strong promise. Building a solid foundation in character development, Cooper and co-writer Brad Inglesby give Russell and Rodney authentic behaviors and a relationship that feels believable. When dealing with the film's villain Harlan DeGroat, played by the talented Woody Harrelson, the two scribes don't explore enough avenues to have him become a three-dimensional character, and not a blanket of evil caricatures that we've seen in movies before. The film opens with Harlan watching a drive-in movie and unleashing his fury on his date, and a bystander that tries to intervene. I tend to appreciate some motivation for a character's actions. You can't just make someone horrible just for the sake of your movie. Why is Harlan so evil, and most of all, why is everyone so scared of this guy, even when he's by himself?
Christian Bale internalizes most of his emotions, bringing them to the brim of explosion. His Russell is damaged, losing so much of himself throughout the narrative, from family members to his own dignity. It's another great performance from the Oscar-winning Bale. Casey Affleck proves to be one of the most talented actors working today, bringing such raw rage to his broken soldier. He's the film's true highlight and most deserving of any accolades the film may receive.
Regulated to one very intense and brilliantly constructed scene with Bale, Zoe Saldana proves to have the goods to go beyond any of her genre roles in "Avatar" and "Star Trek" if given the opportunity. Woody Harrelson does his best with the information he's given. He strikes fear into the viewer with just a look or a sneer, but with such little understanding about what Harlan is about, it doesn't succeed in the way it should have. Sam Shepard and Forest Whitaker are blips on the radar but have no real sense of purpose to the narrative, though they are serviceable.
Cooper also does a great job capturing this rural culture of a small Pennsylvania town. Locals that work at the mill and later gather at the bar to drink their night away feels authentic. Utilizing Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi certainly helps as the talented DP keeps our story close and intimate. Takayanagi captures the entire rooms for the audience to gaze at. Intimate bedroom behavior is placed into perspective when aligned with a shot of the room where a closet is in sight with no doors and damp, dingy walls. The score by Dickon Hinchliffe is the film's strongest technical aspect. The composer, who's worked on Rampart and Winter's Bone, has a knack for these type of films and elevating them to their true potential.
As the film continues to build, to what we believe will be an epic finale of revenge, just becomes the most anti-climactic ending of the year. While Cooper formulates a well-constructed set piece, and composer Hinchliffe and DP Takayanagi are well-equipped for the challenge, the script offers no interesting or payoff to the two-hour investment the audience makes into the story. We are left just mildly and unenthusiastically satisfied.
Overall, the film is simply atmospheric; showing the promise of Cooper has a filmmaker if given stronger material to direct. Out of the Furnace is a mildly impressive work but worth it's time at the movie theater.
Read more reviews and awards coverage @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)
Better Every time
tiffmasters31 December 2019
With a cast like this, what could go wrong? Answer, nothing. The melodramatic tale of two brothers caught on the difficult side of life shows eloquently and brutally, shows us how easy it is to lose everything, good, bad, or otherwise intended actions having been made. Christian Bale is a hard working man, who adores his girlfriend, brother and the rest of his downtrodden family. Casey Affleck, with no less amount of love or devotion, returned from the military a little more shattered than expected. While the brothers' patriarch is bed ridden and failing in health, one accident seemingly destroys all of the good in a man. Difficult, under appreciated work; a violent, unpredictable brother; multiple losses one can hardly handle when life is good, Bales story reminds us of how quickly we can lose it all, and the suffering we can be set up for. While most of his life's trials are beyond his control, the action which takes him fully under, is made by choice, to the viewers, but out of necessity to the man. The script is well written, the characters beyond well acted, the subplots epic, and the always accompanied ugly-crying, takes viewers into an abyss we may never know otherwise. I recommend this movie to everyone. You can either relate and realize suffering is conquerable; or you will see how much worse it could be.
Out of the Furnace punches its bare knuckles through a tepid inferno.
TheMovieDiorama9 March 2020
North Braddock, Pennsylvania. A bleak town saturated in underdeveloped commercial opportunities. The local steel mill sparking life into the desolate streets. Political speeches plague television channels, during a time of economic depreciation. Civilians unknowingly performing their daily routines like machine code to a computer program. Without choice. Four-tour Iraq war veteran Rodney on the other hand, cannot work. A simple life to earn a living does not stimulate his mentally scarred mind. He owes money to a bar owner who incidentally runs illegal underground fights. He yearns for a lucrative brawl. A punch-up that would earn him enough to survive. An arrangement with sociopathic drug dealer Harlan DeGroat comes into fruition. The fight of all fights.
Rodney's brother Russell, whom lives happily with his girlfriend and works at the steel mill, attempts to steer his younger brother down a more sustainable path. Too little, too late. Rodney winds up missing. Russell, ignoring the advice of police officials, takes matters into his own hands. And thus begins Cooper's dramatic thriller of disorderly brotherly affection. A feature astoundingly mean-spirited with its violence, drug use and inconsequential characters, yet undoubtedly engaging.
It's a narrative illustrating contrasts and similarities between two individuals who share a ferocious bond. Russell's focussed and mindful solitude producing a disconcerting sense of edge, whereas Rodney's bombastic frustration proving to be the catalyst for the concluding vengeance. With various scenes playing identically, with differing nuances for each brother, indicating their likeness. At its core, Out of the Furnace is a simple revenge tale in the midst of modern societal issues. That's because it is.
However, what truly elevates the dramatic endeavours of Cooper and Ingelsby's screenplay is the cast. A star-studded cast withholding bountiful talent. Bale, Affleck, Harrelson, Whitaker, Shepard, Saldana and Dafoe. Each performance offering a unique morality and interaction into the escalating scenario of Rodney's disappearance. Bale and Affleck in particular showcasing a vast amount of range and solemnity. The problem with this extensive cast, is that several of them become secondary to the plot. One or two even sinking to tertiary levels of wasted opportunities. Saldana's character is a reminder of the joyous life Russell once had, yet is rarely used at all. Her humanity is a vital dimension for the other characters to inhibit, however is only used to further infuriate Russell when revealing her pregnancy with the also underused Whitaker, to which lacked chemistry.
The overwhelming testosterone-fuelled masculinity needed feminine relief, and unfortunately that wasn't present. Despite a near two-hour runtime, the plot is considerably disjointed in the first act. Huge cuts occur between Russell intoxicatingly killing occupants in a car and his incarceration for vehicular manslaughter, and the revelation of his father succumbing to illness. It offers a window of hopelessness, unable to act upon the world outside, yet these pivotal moments of emotionality were removed entirely to make space for the bulk of the feature. A thriller is built upon characterised foundations. Remove that, and an unrequested neutral standpoint floods the emotional investment towards the scripted characters. Oh, and the plot convenience of the mobile phone "accidentally" calling a voice mail that the police would then use to investigate Rodney's disappearance? Just no.
Cooper's straightforward revenge thriller is an unsympathetic tale that never backs away from the burning embers its title suggests. However, much like its drive-in cinema showing of 'The Midnight Meat Train', the cast are unable to elevate the simplicity of its script, creating a functional if occasionally underwhelming feature in the process.
Rodney's brother Russell, whom lives happily with his girlfriend and works at the steel mill, attempts to steer his younger brother down a more sustainable path. Too little, too late. Rodney winds up missing. Russell, ignoring the advice of police officials, takes matters into his own hands. And thus begins Cooper's dramatic thriller of disorderly brotherly affection. A feature astoundingly mean-spirited with its violence, drug use and inconsequential characters, yet undoubtedly engaging.
It's a narrative illustrating contrasts and similarities between two individuals who share a ferocious bond. Russell's focussed and mindful solitude producing a disconcerting sense of edge, whereas Rodney's bombastic frustration proving to be the catalyst for the concluding vengeance. With various scenes playing identically, with differing nuances for each brother, indicating their likeness. At its core, Out of the Furnace is a simple revenge tale in the midst of modern societal issues. That's because it is.
However, what truly elevates the dramatic endeavours of Cooper and Ingelsby's screenplay is the cast. A star-studded cast withholding bountiful talent. Bale, Affleck, Harrelson, Whitaker, Shepard, Saldana and Dafoe. Each performance offering a unique morality and interaction into the escalating scenario of Rodney's disappearance. Bale and Affleck in particular showcasing a vast amount of range and solemnity. The problem with this extensive cast, is that several of them become secondary to the plot. One or two even sinking to tertiary levels of wasted opportunities. Saldana's character is a reminder of the joyous life Russell once had, yet is rarely used at all. Her humanity is a vital dimension for the other characters to inhibit, however is only used to further infuriate Russell when revealing her pregnancy with the also underused Whitaker, to which lacked chemistry.
The overwhelming testosterone-fuelled masculinity needed feminine relief, and unfortunately that wasn't present. Despite a near two-hour runtime, the plot is considerably disjointed in the first act. Huge cuts occur between Russell intoxicatingly killing occupants in a car and his incarceration for vehicular manslaughter, and the revelation of his father succumbing to illness. It offers a window of hopelessness, unable to act upon the world outside, yet these pivotal moments of emotionality were removed entirely to make space for the bulk of the feature. A thriller is built upon characterised foundations. Remove that, and an unrequested neutral standpoint floods the emotional investment towards the scripted characters. Oh, and the plot convenience of the mobile phone "accidentally" calling a voice mail that the police would then use to investigate Rodney's disappearance? Just no.
Cooper's straightforward revenge thriller is an unsympathetic tale that never backs away from the burning embers its title suggests. However, much like its drive-in cinema showing of 'The Midnight Meat Train', the cast are unable to elevate the simplicity of its script, creating a functional if occasionally underwhelming feature in the process.
Casey Affleck?
bpress54-212-51973 July 2017
Having an extremely hard time buying casey affleck as a tough guy. Why didn't they get an actual tough guy to play the part? he's such a chicken looking due I just can't believe that he could actually beat someone up or that his character in the movie survived military service. He's just so baby faced and looks like he could be knocked over with a feather.
Generic storyline saved by fantastic acting...
paul_haakonsen10 August 2014
"Out of the Furnace" was actually a surprisingly nice movie, given its synopsis which didn't really sell the movie all that well.
The storyline was compelling, albeit a bit stereotypical. Russell (played by Christian Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (played by Casey Affleck) live hard lives, and when Russell is thrown a curve ball and end up in prison, life becomes even harder. After having served time, he comes back to find his younger brother performing in staged fights for money. And when Rodney makes John Petty (played by Willem Dafoe) set up a fight through Harlan DeGroat (played by Woody Harrelson), Rodney is in over his head with a fatal outcome. Set out to avenge his brother's killer, Russell have to unravel the fight ring to get to DeGroat.
Despite a fairly generic storyline, then the acting talents on the cast list really carried the movie quite well. And they have some really great names to star in this movie. This is really one of Christian Bale's better movies, because he really has given himself into the role here and it shines through on the screen. But Woody Harrelson was really also quite at home in the role as the cold-hearted DeGroat.
One of the more memorable scenes in the movie was when the police were storming DeGroat's house. The way that was filmed, and with the way Harrelson was fixing, that was just phenomenal.
"Out of the Furnace" is a movie that is well worth watching.
The storyline was compelling, albeit a bit stereotypical. Russell (played by Christian Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (played by Casey Affleck) live hard lives, and when Russell is thrown a curve ball and end up in prison, life becomes even harder. After having served time, he comes back to find his younger brother performing in staged fights for money. And when Rodney makes John Petty (played by Willem Dafoe) set up a fight through Harlan DeGroat (played by Woody Harrelson), Rodney is in over his head with a fatal outcome. Set out to avenge his brother's killer, Russell have to unravel the fight ring to get to DeGroat.
Despite a fairly generic storyline, then the acting talents on the cast list really carried the movie quite well. And they have some really great names to star in this movie. This is really one of Christian Bale's better movies, because he really has given himself into the role here and it shines through on the screen. But Woody Harrelson was really also quite at home in the role as the cold-hearted DeGroat.
One of the more memorable scenes in the movie was when the police were storming DeGroat's house. The way that was filmed, and with the way Harrelson was fixing, that was just phenomenal.
"Out of the Furnace" is a movie that is well worth watching.
Great Acting! No Meaning.
cdsackett9 December 2013
The way this movie started had me looking over at my friend with big eyes and a grin. Full of anticipation! The movie then begins to develop characters, quite well. But slowly, you start to realize that the character relationships that are building have ZERO relevance to the film.
The entire cast does a fantastic job of acting and revealing raw emotion, particularly Christian Bale and Casey Affleck in moments of extreme vulnerability.
My discontent with the film lies in the feeling that overcame me at the end of the movie: Pointlessness.
The entire movie creates relationships that don't matter, have no relevance and end abruptly. All-in-all, I wish this movie would've been like the intro. Wait for Redbox.
The entire cast does a fantastic job of acting and revealing raw emotion, particularly Christian Bale and Casey Affleck in moments of extreme vulnerability.
My discontent with the film lies in the feeling that overcame me at the end of the movie: Pointlessness.
The entire movie creates relationships that don't matter, have no relevance and end abruptly. All-in-all, I wish this movie would've been like the intro. Wait for Redbox.
Dark and oppressive, with splendid acting
BeneCumb29 December 2013
Topics like fights for pay, related crimes and revenge for someone close to you have been used in hundreds of movies over the decades, and only new angles and/or fine acting are able to provide additional value. The latter is definitely in place - all actors, main and supporting, give memorable performances; of them, Christian Bale as Russell Baze spends most time on screen. As for the plot, its pace is somewhat hectic, and some elements (prison-related, above all) do not supplement to the logic of actions. There is also much misery around, none of the characters has bright prospects, and activities are not planned for the sake of future, but just to get even with the past... In relation to preceding scenes, the ending is too slow, although "the" moment was unpredictable.
In my opinion, Out of the Furnace is a decent thriller with great performances, and most appropriate for male audiences.
In my opinion, Out of the Furnace is a decent thriller with great performances, and most appropriate for male audiences.
good actors don't make a good movie
Mecces1713 November 2021
I'm kind of disappointed because i really would've liked to find a little gem here. Sadly the film doesn't live up to some of the top rated reviews here - probably because the script is a mess. Cooper never really knows which story to tell. Is this meant to be about revenge ? Brotherhood ? Depression ? A forgotten city somewhere in the US ? Bad Police work ? A romantic drama ? All these themes are just touched on the surface and never really in their core. Some huge editing mistakes (u can find these easily if you look closely) ruined it completely for me.
This couldve been a much better movie. And it's sad to see such a mediocre film with such an amazing cast.
This couldve been a much better movie. And it's sad to see such a mediocre film with such an amazing cast.
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