Out of the Furnace Review

Out of the Furnace

3 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

Out of the Furnace sears into your brain like hot coal with its blazing performances, intense atmosphere, and haunting storytelling.

Our heroes of Out of the Furnace are two damaged brothers living in a tiny, economically unstable town. The older brother, Russell (Christian Bale), is an honorable and admirable man who finds himself in prison after a series of unfortunate events. The younger brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck), is an ex-soldier who participates in brutal street fights to make money and to deal with the trauma from war. With their father's health and mind ever worsening, all that the two brothers have is each other. These tough guys love each other and would do anything for each other. It's only a matter of time before Russell and Rodney find themselves wrapped up in a world of crime, led by the heartless Harlan (Woody Harrelson), that they cannot escape. What follows is a dark, bleak tale of violence and revenge.

Writer-director Scott Cooper, who co-wrote the script with Brad Ingelsby, tells a gripping and riveting story that I won't dare spoil for you, for there are a couple of great surprises that really kept me guessing as to how this whole film would pan out. I was surprised by the thoughtful nature of the writing. Cooper and Ingelsby explore some complex, philosophical ideas regarding masculinity, family, and life, itself, that are quite thought-provoking. I was surprised that Out of the Furnace is much more than your standard crime-revenge film. It's much more. It truthfully speaks about modern America through fascinating characters whom we deeply care about.

Russell is a fascinating protagonist in that he's a righteous, caring, good guy. He's reserved and doesn't get to say much. However, we always root for him because he has a good heart. Bale gives one of his most subtle, nuanced performances ever, and boy is it excellent. Perhaps the better, more interesting character is Rodney. There is so much going on with him psychologically that you can't help but sympathize for him and get caught up in his story. Casey Affleck, one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, is dynamite. This is a fierce, committed, beautiful, and masterful performance from an incredibly talented young man. Harlan is one of the scariest villains I've seen in a while, and it's amazing that Woody Harrelson, who has recently been doing a decent amount of lighter work, is insanely frightening in a captivating, showy role. Heck, even the small characters such as Russell's girlfriend (Zoe Saldana) and police chief Wesley (Forrest Whitaker) are extraordinary to watch, especially because the acting from Saldana and Whitaker are so fantastic. (They seriously leave such haunting, lasting impressions in the very few scenes that they have). Cooper and Ingelsby have created wonderful, complex characters that will definitely grab your attention.

Cooper was the perfect director for this script because every single piece of Out of the Furnace feels truly alive. The town feels lived in and breathed in, with its drab, depressing authenticity. Cooper chooses to be unobtrusive with his direction, often allowing his story world to unfold naturally. It often feels like we are watching a documentary or something, because everything feels so life-like. Cooper also masterfully orchestrates tone. He keeps things dark and moody without ever being too heavy. And when the action comes into play, it is super intense and off-the-charts suspenseful. This is beautiful direction from a talented individual who I hope has a long career ahead of him.

Out of the Furnace isn't quite perfect in that the second half of the film isn't as effective as the first (a shocking plot point in the middle of the film drastically changes how the rest of the film pans out -- both in terms of story and tone -- and I enjoyed the first half of the film more). In addition, I did not like the last shot of this film and would have preferred for the film to have ended on the second to last shot. (This sounds really nitpicky, but if you see the film, I have a feeling that you will agree with me). 

But ultimately, this is such a gripping, endlessly fascinating movie that is beautifully made. Out of the Furnace will stay with you for quite some time. And you will be glad that it did.