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'Out of Furnace' is too depressing
Showtime with Sasha
outfurnacestill
A grim story in a grim setting with grim characters makes "Out of the Furnace" to depressing to get Sasha's fan. - photo by Studio photo

I’ve got a quiz for you today. Can you tell me which actor is going from playing the Caped Crusader to portraying Moses?
Answer? Christian Bale. It’s hard to believe that Bale saw the release of his third and final Batman flick, “The Dark Knight Rises,” in 2012. Two years later, the actor is working hard on the set of Ridley Scott’s new picture, “Exodus,” which is expected to debut in December.
You don’t have to wait until Christmas to get your Bale fix, however. The actor wowed in last year’s “American Hustle,” and now another of his films, “Out of the Furnace,” has come to DVD.
The star-studded, gritty drama with the hot, hot, hot title comes to us from director Scott Copper, who previously delivered “Crazy Heart,” starring Jeff Bridges in an Oscar-winning performance. That picture was endearing, sweet and sour. This one, however, is just plain sour.
Bale plays a blue-collar man whose younger brother (Casey Affleck) is on a dangerous road, about to collide with a nasty, redneck gangster (Woody Harrelson). Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepard also star.
This is one of those films with a really nice trailer. I was tempted to catch it in theaters, but now I’m glad that I waited for the DVD.
In a word, “Out of the Furnace” is depressing. Though well-acted and thoroughly authentic, the story is just about falling deeper and deeper into trouble.
Bale and Affleck both are at the top of their craft. But they did so well that I was often frustrated with their characters, too — especially Affleck’s. Do check out his Army uniform, though. You’ll see the 3rd Infantry Division patch!
Bottom-line: If you can stand the gloom and doom, give it a watch, but otherwise, I recommend something more uplifting. There’s no one to blame here. Everyone did their work well. In the end, I just wouldn’t recommend this story to others.
I am not a fan!

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