‘Out of the Furnace’ Movie Review
By: Carrington Spires
Copyright: Relativity Media
“We’re brothers, and we’re all we got.” – Casey Affleck as Rodney Baze in Out of the Furnace
In Scott Cooper’s follow-up film to 2009’s Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace follows Russell Base (Christian Bale), whose life takes a turn for the worst when he discovers that his younger brother, Rodney Baze Jr. (Casey Affleck), has disappeared. Russell sets out to find him on his own accord when the local law enforcement fails to help out.
Out of the Furnace sports a wonderful cast of Academy Award Nominees and Winners led by Christian Bale (American Hustle). Bale stars as the calm and collected Russell Baze, who does what he can to keep a steady job at a steel mill while doing his best to keep his younger brother, Rodney Baze (Casey Affleck), out of trouble.
![Christian Bale [Left] and Casey Affleck [Right] in 'Out of the Furnace'](https://thesidewinderblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/out-of-the-furnace-movie-poster-23.jpg)
Christian Bale [Left] and Casey Affleck [Right] in ‘Out of the Furnace’
Despite his older brother’s attempts to persuade him, Rodney secretly involves himself in street fights for money under the watchful eye of John Petty, played by Willem Dafoe (Beyond: Two Souls), who gives a likable performance as Rodney’s caretaker. DeGroat, a creepy redneck with a very bad temper, who is extremely well performed by Woody Harrelson.
Along the way, Russell Baze is supported by ex-girlfriend Lena Taylor, played by Zoe Saldana (Star Trek: Into Darkness), and her Chief Police Officer Wesley Barnes, played by Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels’ The Butler). Saldana’s character adds a level of emotion that carries throughout the second half of the film in Bale’s character. Forest Whitaker’s performance as Barnes, unfortunately, adds very little to the narrative, despite being heavily involved in the search for Rodney.
![Woody Harrelson [Left] in 'Out of the Furnace'](https://thesidewinderblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/out-of-the-furnace-movie-poster-21.jpg)
Woody Harrelson [Left] in ‘Out of the Furnace’
Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) and co-written by Brad Ingelsby (The Dynamiter), Out of the Furnace is pretty straight-forward narratively, although it the best of the film comes from its very well done and eccentric direction by Cooper.
Issues with the film do come with its direction, despite its well-developed style. There are certain shots scattered throughout the film that left me wondering while they were put there, as they added nothing to the narrative. Other issues simply involve the poor usage of supporting characters, and the narrative’s lack of substance.
Coming down to it, Out of the Furnace is very much a drama that relies on its style to drive the substance-lacking narrative forward. Acting is a huge strength, and Christian Bale’s performance is fantastic. Scott Cooper displays his ongoing progression as a director by delivering another well done piece that is well worth a watch.
Rating: 3/5 (Good)
Out of the Furnace is now playing in theaters. It is rated R for strong violence, language, and drug content. Its runtime is 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Still not sure if you want to check out Out of the Furnace? Watch the trailer courtesy of Relativity Media below!
Good review Carrington. The cast is great and really works beyond what the script asks of them. Which, then again, isn’t much, but just enough to where you get the idea that this is a movie checking out.
Many thanks, Dan! It’s certainly one that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely worth a watch.