Auge um Auge - Out of the Furnace

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.

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.

Star studded cast, including one of the greats of this generation, Christian Bale. The acting is phenomenal. Harrelson always makes a great psycho. Scott Cooper is undeniably one of Hollywood's more distinguished directors of intense movies, and just as capable as anyone at evoking emotional power through a camera.

With all of that said, 'Out of the Furnace' has a slow, yet constant pace. It never has a moment where it really picks up. I believe this to be quite purposeful, as it emphasis the hopelessness and depression of both the characters and it's setting.

A good sense of realism though out the film. Nothing was too exaggerated, and was really quite believable.

Scott Cooper takes a sharp turn from the school book tone of his last film Crazy Heart and brings us to a more dismal world in Out of the Furnace. Our hero, Russel Baze, (played smartly by Christian Bale), is a well intentioned and responsible man who in trying to protect his brother meets cruel and cold irony and is sent wayward in this ruined world. Meanwhile his brother returns from deployment with a terrible case of post traumatic stress disorder and brings his chaos into the "imbred" and lawless hills of New Jersey, led by the degenerate Harlan Degroat, (Woody Harrelson).

Now, the story in the vein of films like Deer Hunter and Winter's Bone, two films I personally admire for capturing the delicacy of people amid depressed communities. It's hard to say this film doesn't measure up. The lighting, sound, cinematography, editing, story, are all accomplished with the utmost professionalism. However, if the script fell into the wrong hands its flaws would easily be detected because the weakness of its integrity would show. The story takes too many short cuts to get where it needs to go. Some might already find it slow. It is after all a vignette of the decline of our hero.

However, what really made this movie work for me was the brilliant performances of the trait. William Dafoe as a local and smart small time boss. Sam Shepard as the uncle, a face of masculinity and integrity, Tom Bower as a complex and familiar bartender and gate man. Casey Affleck as the young and traumatized brother, Forrest Whitaker as the conflicted cop, Zoe Saldana as the girlfriend. Though, it's Harrelson who really steals the show, he's evil, beyond logic and powerful You can't wait to see him again and that antagonistic combination is rare and even more scarcely pulled off.

Out of the Furnace won't be nominated for best screenplay. However, in my eyes, it should get a nod for everything else.

To be honest, after watching the trailer, i watched this movie only cause it had Bale in it. But it turned out to be surprisingly good with strong performances from everyone involved. Casey Affleck and Zoe Saldana deliver good work on screen. Woody Harelson is also very convincing as the Red neck villain. The director has managed to paint a pretty vivid picture of the environment that he wanted to portray. The storytelling is very engaging. Thumbs up to the director and his team for this effort. In the end, no review can be complete without praising the man who continues to amaze with each performance, Christian Bale. Believable and heart warming in this one. He manages to accomplish the one thing which was most needed from anyone who played this character and that is being able to get the audience to empathize with it. Bale succeeds and then some. Clearly one of his best works till date, and he has an impressive resume already to choose from. A must Watch movie of 2013.