Home > Categories > Movies > Drama > Out of the Furnace review
From Scott Cooper, the critically acclaimed writer and director of Crazy Heart, comes a gripping and powerful drama about family, fate, circumstances and justice. Russell Baze (Oscar Winner Christian Bale) leads a dead end life - he works a meaningless steel mill job all day, and care for his terminally ill father at night.
When Russell's brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from Iraq, he is lured into one of the Northeast's most ruthless crime rings and mysteriously disappears. When the police fail to solve the case, Russell puts his life at risk in order to seek justice for his brother. This absorbing film features a knockout cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana and Sam Shepard.
Running Time: Approx 112 minutes
Rated: Restricted 16
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This movie keeps you on your toes, I had to be paying attention to see what was going to happen next and to understand what characters are doing what. It starts as it means to finish - with a guy beating up a stranger at the drive in movies because he stepped in to check if the woman needed help that he was assaulting. Definitely a restricted 16 movie that's for sure! It took me a little bit to figure out who was who and what exactly was happening - but then I often find movies full of action, fighting and gangs to be a bit like that. This movie was totally up my husbands alley, and he got a bit annoyed at me asking what he termed as dumb questions . I have since watched the movie twice and will watch it again as it is a good watch. I think this is one of those films where the more you watch it the more you notice.
As Russell searches for his brother, he hits dead ends and gets stopped by Police over and over again. He doesn't give up though and notions of loyalty and family are explored throughout this. This film is shot a lot in the dark and even in day time it has quite dark lighting - which only adds to the darkness of the movie. Danger, violence, death and jail life are all very realistically displayed and made me very thankful of the life we have several times. While I can't relate personally to what was happening in the film, the characters and story line had a way of dragging you in and making you feel apart of this life style. Some great acting, filming and overall story line that's for sure.
While I am glad that we didn't pay to see this at the movies, this is only because I hate spending money at the movies unless it is a simply stunning and amazing movie - it is so expensive after all! I would certainly pay to hire it on DVD without hesitation and therefore can confidently recommend that you do the same - a movie you will enjoy (just make sure the children are in bed already)!
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"A torn jacket is soon mended; but hard words bruise the heart of a child."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)