Out of the Furnace (2013)

Directed by Scott Cooper. Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Sam Shepard, Forest Whitaker, Zoë Saldana, Tom Bower. [R]

Grim drama set in a steel mill town outside of Pittsburgh and the unwelcoming backwoods of rural New Jersey. Moody military vet Affleck struggles to readjust to civilian life, makes the mistake of becoming entangled with a violent drug-dealer (Harrelson); when things go bad between them, the kid’s older brother (Bale) risks all to enter the lion’s den and flush out the sociopath. Dense with downbeat atmosphere, the economically-depressed trappings and general behavior are bleakly credible in spite of the predictable plot outline. Strives for battered grand statements about brotherhood, masculinity and justice, but doesn’t have much to say that’s especially refreshing or original; the film tends to get lost whenever it meanders from the simple and direct “brother’s keeper” narrative (a sub-plot involving Bale’s rueful attempt to reconcile with an ex (Saldana) serves little purpose). The characterizations may lack depth, but Bale and especially Affleck churn in aptly sullen, scalding fashions, and though the effort may lack nuance, Harrelson drives home his ferocious hatefulness in memorable ways. Director Cooper also co-scripted; produced by, among others, Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio.

65/100