Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Blu-ray Review - Out Of The Furnace

Out Of The Furnace
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, William Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00HOGBXTU
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rating: R

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD last week was the thriller/drama Out Of The Furnace starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, William Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, and Sam Shepard. Special Features include Inspiration: The stars of Out Of The Furnace reveal what inspired them to become actors; A Conversation with co-writer/director Scott Copper; Crafting the Fight Scenes; and The Music of Out Of The Furnace.

The film centers on ex-con, Russell Baze (played by Christian Bale), who had went to prison for vehicular manslaughter. During the time he was locked away, his girlfriend, Lena (played by Zoe Saldana) dumped him for the local police chief (played by Forest Whitaker) and his father passed away.

After being released from prison, Russell returns to work at the town's steal mill. His younger brother, Rodney (played by Casey Affleck) had returned from Iraq prior to his incarceration, but during Russell's absence Rodney began making a few extra bucks by participating in underground fist-fighting.

Shortly after Rodney promises Russell that he will cleanup his life after one more fight, Rodney goes missing. After the police come up with nothing, Russell goes after the man responsible for his brother's disappearance, Harlan DeGroat (played by Woody Harrelson).

While Out Of The Furnace did receive decent reviews from critics, but it only made back half its budget at the box-office. The film reminds of the movie Winter's Bone and the television series Justified, as they show a more realistic view of life; yes, it is a little dark and violent, but more real than most Hollywood thrillers and action films. Out Of The Furnace features a star-studded cast, whom all give great performances. I'm surprised none of the cast was nominated for an Oscar. Overall, Out Of The Furnace is a gritty thriller that I enjoyed watching.


*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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