Director: Scott Cooper.
Starring: Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker, Sam Shepard, Zoe Saldana.
Running Time: 116 minutes.
Certificate: 15.
Synopsis: Steel mill employee Russell Baze (Christian Bale) decides to take matters into his own hands after his brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) suddenly vanishes and the local police officer (Forest Whitaker) doesn’t appear to be looking hard enough.
Incredible. The only word left swimming around by head as the credits to OUT OF THE FURNACE rolled. My brain being devoid of vocabulary was thanks wholly to the powerful performances from every member of its cast. With the ensemble including names such as Christian Bale, Forest Whitaker and Woody Harrelson, you know that you’ll be in for something special acting-wise and the film doesn’t disappoint.
Bale once again gives a helluva performance as the gentle older brother of Affleck’s tortured marine, who finds himself transformed into a hardened vigilante as he searches for the truth about his brother’s disappearance. His search sees him cross paths with New Jersey hills-man Harlan DeGroat, played by the superb Harrelson. Most recently seen reprising his role as game-surviving mentor Haymitch Abernathy in sequel THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, Harrelson is almost unrecognisable as a violent crime lord with a taste for hotdogs.
Out of all the performances – which also include great supporting turns by Whitaker, Shepard, Dafoe and Saldana – it is Affleck’s turn as the younger Baze brother that really plays on the emotions. The real-life brother of another Batman (Ben Affleck), Casey brings a vulnerable side to his war-torn soldier. Having left Iraq but the war not left him, Rodney is struggling to find his place in the world. Filled with anger and resentment for what he has had to do for his country, he finds himself seduced by the world of underground fight clubs, seeing them as his only release. It is this dalliance that sees the rest of the film’s events unfold. The fight sequences are brutal, with the sound design highlighting every punch in a grotesque fashion. Accompanying the jarring sound design is the haunting score by composer Dickon Hinchliffe, as well as Pearl Jam’s beautiful song, ‘Release’.
The plot plays as a typical revenge thriller, however the quality of the cast will distract you from feeling bored. It’s one of those rare films in which no character is clean, with all of them making bad decisions. Even Bale’s Russell, although kind and protective of his family, is flawed by the actions he commits. Given its dark tone and nature, OUT OF THE FURNACE won’t be to everybody’s liking, but director Cooper (an actor himself) knows exactly how to pull memorable performances from his cast.
[usr=4] OUT OF THE FURNACE is released in UK cinemas on Wednesday 29th January, 2014.
