behold a film that relies solely on talent and avoids any clichés or Hollywood vices. out of the furnace is a real film with real depth and real impact. relying more on story and well-developed characters, it's a breath of fresh air whenever something like this comes along. in north Braddock, Pennsylvania, Russell christian bale is a hard- working steel mill worker who even with a father dying of cancer and his younger brother, Rodney Casey Affleck , a stop-lossed soldier who's buried himself in debt with the local bookie Willem Dafoe , has had his life crushed in one random <more> moment, a dreadful accident sentencing him to a stint in jail. while locked up, his father dies and Rodney is sent to Iraq. upon release five years later, his beautiful girlfriend, Lena Zoe Saldana , has moved on and into a relationship with the local sheriff forest Whitaker and Rodney, now home and haunted by his time over there, has only dug himself in deeper. so deep it involves Harlan DeGroat Woody Harrelson , a volatile maniac of a white trash criminal who is just aching for a reason to hurt someone anyone . all this leads to bloody results, inevitably leading to a confrontation between Russell and Harlan. i don't wanna say much beyond that. this movie takes its time unfolding and the more involved you are, the better the movie is. for Russell, it's just good to be home and when a world of drugs and underground fights threaten to destroy everything he loves, you feel the same itching he does, needing to see things through, even if it means the law has to be sidetracked. bale, as usual, is remarkable. in what could be one of his most underplayed performances he only has one scene where he really emotional explodes , we get everything we need to know about him, even in moments of complete silence. Bale's great at spreading his range and adding humanity to every role and this is no exception. whether it's a heartbreaking moment of being reunited with Saldana or a fun brotherly exchange with Affleck, he covers every base with the ease of one breath, making him a master of his craft. Affleck is good as the damaged Rodney, making us feel for him even when he's in the middle of doing something risky or just plain stupid. Rodney's connection with Russell carries a lotta weight and never for a second do you doubt their brotherly bond. the rest of the cast: Dafoe, Whitaker, Saldana, and the excellent Sam Shepard as Russell and Rodney's uncle are up to par and no one is really shortchanged. while some of them are there longer than others, everyone makes a mark and shares relaxed chemistry with their cast mates Affleck has some really great exchanges with Dafoe . as for Harrelson...well, when he does bad and intense, it never really gets any better. the film's opening scene tells you everything you need to know about DeGroat's violent nature, but Harrelson never lets you turn away. unpredictable, terrifying, and poisonous, i found myself entranced by the man, even if i knew what he was about to do was savagery at its worse. Scott cooper had me with his first film, crazy heart. this is all i need to stay an avid fan of a filmmaker who knows how to make you stay with characters, even if they're vile scum like DeGroat. cooper gives them human feelings and flaws. he envelops you in the setting, whether it's the sleepy streets of a northeastern small town or the thick country woods. he knows how to show you a place that feels like home. sure...there's blood. lot's of blood in certain spots. he knows when something needs to be violent and he knows how to use it without making it feel forced or cheesy. bottom line, out of the furnace is for true blue film buffs who want a real story with human characters. a story that will grab you and keep you hooked from DeGroat's first act of violence to bale's chilling final shot. it's not a CGI loaded dazzler. it's a film that makes you yearn for some old films that had accomplished more with less. see this movie. even if it doesn't completely do it for you, you'll walk away thinking about it later. you'll recall the things you did like. once you're done thinking, you'll know it was worth it. in closing, Bale and Harrelson are both Oscar worthy. there...just making sure i made that clear. <less> |