Review of Out of the Furnace (2013) by Sherry B — 27 Jan 2014

This easily the best movie that I have seen all year, scratch that, that I have seen in many years. Out of the Furnace tells compelling and poignant story about living in America at a blue collar class and also tells an almost biblical quest for redemption and revenge. Christian Bale leads an amazing cast as Russell Baze a steel mill worker dealing with is sick father and troubled war vet brother Rodney (played tragically by Casey Affleck). He can't seem to catch a break after he goes to prison for an accident that claimed 2 lives including a child. In prison his life becomes hard when his brother gets involved with the wrong crowd of people and becomes a bare-knuckle fighter for gamble. But his brother goes missing in a back woods cult that became involved in his fights.

I was with this movie to its bitter end. I was so invested because this is a painfully realistic portrait of America and some towns in modern America. Rodney is war vet who comes back to nothing and that's very common in America these days. Russell is a blue collar worker who makes almost nothing while the steel mill that practically runs the town is closing. Rodney feeling that his country has done nothing for him feels that it's necessary to fight for his money because he doesn't feel it right to work for a living, and that is what I got the most realism in this movie. Most veterans come back to nothing but an empty house and most blue collar workers can't even make ends neat.

Now the film is a hard film to watch, it's very emotionally draining and has some very graphic scenes of violence. The characters are all flawed with big mistakes that they've made that they wish they could take back. But all these characters at some point in the movie have the epiphany of some things in the world you just can't change and most of the time you're going to be taken down. Christian Bale does a fantastic job as the lead character on his quest for redemption, Casey Affleck is tragic as his brother, and Woody Harrelson gives the most chilling and creepiest performance of his career as the cult leader. Zoe Saldana is easily the brightest spot in the movie as Bale's ex. William Defoe and Sam Shepard are great as people that have lived and made it in this tough town but they also play father figures to Bale and Affleck.

Out of the Furnace is the best movie of the year hands down, no doubt, the only completion left for this film is later this month with American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street. This movie will have you thinking about it for months after and has had me captivated from the shocking and disturbing beginning to bitter and saddening end. There is truly no other film like this.

GRADE: A.

#7 FAVORITE MOVIE OF 2013.