From Scott Cooper, the critically acclaimed writer and director of Crazy Heart, comes a gripping and powerful drama about family, fate, circumstance and justice. Russell Baze (Oscar Winner Christian Bale) leads a dead-end life – he works a meaningless steel mill job all day, and cares for his terminally ill father at night. When Russell’s brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from Iraq, he is lured into one of the Northeast’s most ruthless crime rings and mysteriously disappears. When the police fail to solve the case, Russell puts his life at risk in order to seek justice for his brother. This absorbing film features a knockout cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana and Sam Shepard.
Director Scott Cooper did a phenomenal job with his previous film Crazy Heart and I looked forward to his next project. Out of the Furnace is a dark and gritty tale with pitch perfect performances from a brilliant cast. The standout for me is Woody Harrelson as the intimidating criminal Harlan DeGroat in what is his one of his all time best roles. Christian Bale is all cold steel intensity when things go pear shape. Having traveled through some of the areas that were used for filming locations was nice to see on screen. 8/10
Out of the Furnace arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1 - A solid if a bit bleak presentation. Colors exhibit a muted and natural tone. Black levels are deep and inky throughout though some scenes appear to be awash in darkness. Seems that is the intention of the filmmaker and cinematographer as far as I can tell. The image is sharp with fine detail highlighting facial hair, pores and the rust of the depressed area. No signs of digital enhancement. 8.5/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout. Surround activity is good at creating a sense of environment and bringing the bone crunching fight scenes to life. Bass adds good depth to the smart music choices and the more thrilling moments of the film. No pops, cracks or anomalies. 9/10
* Inspiration (HD, 3min30sec) - The cast gives insight on their process and inspirations.
* Scott Cooper (HD, 6min40sec) - A look at the career of Director Scott Cooper.
* Crafting the Fight Scenes (HD, 5min15sec)
* The Music of Out of the Furnace (HD, 9min)
* Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2min24sec)