OUT OF THE FURNACE is a simmering story of revenge, betrayal, and murder, brought to life via a couple of volatile performances from the leading actors. Altogether it's rather familiar story and one which has been done time and time again in the cinemas, but then this film isn't really about the story at all but rather the mood, the ambiance of the thing. The director's goal is to realise some of the simmering tension of the likes of BADLANDS, charting a ruthless small town America where death and destruction are just around the corner and people are happy to turn a blind eye to such events in their midst.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of story in this film, which seems to drag out the most basic plot ingredients to double their real length. However, the performances more than make up for it. Christian Bale is saddled with what amounts to a rather basic character as the lead, but he does very well with it (unsurprisingly) and is 100% realistic. Casey Affleck is more of an actor I can take or leave, and I found I didn't really care about his predicament. However, Woody Harrelson is the scene-stealer here, portraying a man full of bullish aggression, a guy who you can feel the hatred coming off in waves. He's completely scary, the sort of person you would pray at never having to cross paths with in real life, and his performance alone gives this film an extra star.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of story in this film, which seems to drag out the most basic plot ingredients to double their real length. However, the performances more than make up for it. Christian Bale is saddled with what amounts to a rather basic character as the lead, but he does very well with it (unsurprisingly) and is 100% realistic. Casey Affleck is more of an actor I can take or leave, and I found I didn't really care about his predicament. However, Woody Harrelson is the scene-stealer here, portraying a man full of bullish aggression, a guy who you can feel the hatred coming off in waves. He's completely scary, the sort of person you would pray at never having to cross paths with in real life, and his performance alone gives this film an extra star.