Out of the Furnace 2013 * * * Stars

Director: Scott Cooper
Year: 2013
Rated R
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard, Woody Harrelson

Out of the Furnace is a slow burning sledgehammer of a movie. That doesn't mean it's a masterpiece but it's one of those flicks that I actually wanted to run a bit longer. Granted, it's a master class in acting, direction, style, and mood. What keeps it from reaching the pinnacle of greatness lies in editing which seems to be wound so tight that the film as a whole, might burst. I do however, applaud almost everything that inhabits the screen. But I wanted to know more about the characters. I also wanted a blueprint of a more calculated back story surrounding them. Everyone in their roles, although not fully realized, do a superb job. In essence, this vehicle probably has the best group of actors in anything I've seen all year. Christian Bale as the lead, makes being a movie star look so darn easy. He's effortless in everything he plays. You wouldn't know the guy is of Welsh descent because he can slip into any accented role with any sort of cranked up ethnicity. Then there is Casey Affleck who has really come into his own these days. He's come a long way from being his hap hazard brother's sidekick in 1997's Good Will Hunting. Rounding out a cast that never and I mean never hits a false note, is veteran thespian Woody Harrelson (he's antagonistically horrific), Oscar winner Forest Whittaker (underutilized a bit), and good ol' Sam Shepard. Oh and did I mention some limited, yet strong supporting work from love interest Zoe Saldana (she plays Lena Warren, Bale's character's former squeeze).

Anyway, all the actors/actresses in "Furnace" do their due diligence by nodding to Scott Cooper's authentic direction. I'm faithfully recommending this thing based solely on the use of its Pennsylvania locales, the performances which are first rate (and possibly Oscar worthy), and the atmospheric images that will grip and entrance you for just under two hours. What keeps me from taking that recommendation further, is the absence of a more complex undertaking concerning the actions of everyone involved. Bottom line: "Furnace's" storytelling is a little too straightforward even for me. It's the movie equivalent of one slice of pizza. Yeah, it tastes good but before you know it, it's already gone and you want more. The problem is, that's all you're gonna get.

Depicting people that look as though they've not slept in days (and seem to have not attempted to wash their hair either) and produced by legendary director Ridley Scott, Out of the Furnance is a showcase for characters that have a bleak existence in a musty, gloomy steel mill town. Living somewhere near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they unwillingly have come to accept and adapt to their surroundings. And most of the futures that they hold for themselves, seem futile and sort of desolate. As the film opens, we see Russell Baze (Christian Bale, powerfully calm) getting off work and finding his younger brother (Rodney Baze, Jr. played by Casey Affleck) betting on horse races that add up to loses of about $1,500. You see Russell's brother just got back from serving his country in the armed forces. He doesn't want a regular job. He wants to do more than just get by. When Russell repays part of his brother's debt which is owed to a bookie named John Petty (played by William Dafoe in a performance that strays away from his normal acting persona), he then gets into a drunk driving accident, kills a fellow motorist, and goes to prison. While he's away, he loses his girlfriend (the fiery Zoe Saldana) and his brother then goes on to participate in bare knuckle fighting contests to make ends meet (the boxing scenes seem right out of David Fincher's Fight Club). "Furnace" then switches gears with Bale's Baze getting out of the state of incarceration only to find out about his younger brother's trysts eventually getting out of control. Rodney wants to make more money sparring underground. And against the advice of his connection with Dafoe's character, he then gets picked to take a fall in an important bloody match (this time without knuckles being taped). This fight, happening 5 or 6 hours away in New Jersey, is orchestrated by a despicable crime ring leader named Curtis DeGroat (played by Woody Harrelson who is so evil and demented, he may haunt your dreams). For whatever reason, Rodney doesn't come back so his big brother, shotgun and all, takes the law into his own hands.

For lack of a better word, Out of the Furnace is an old fashioned revenge tale and a sort of back road film noir. My initial observation of it was how it confused me in terms of its time and place. The opening scene had Woody Harrelson's character at a drive-in theater even though it seemed like the film was set in present day. Therefore, I thought to myself, do those types of theaters still exist? Then there was the fact that Affleck and Bale were cast as brothers. The chemistry was there but wow, they sure didn't look they could ever be related. As for the setting in this vehicle, I wasn't necessarily confused. I just thought to myself, is this some sort of post apocalyptic environment where everyone is dressed up with what they might have stole or found laying on the ground? Frankly, when you combine every one's unkempt personal appearance with the gloominess of the sky, the filthy homes they live in, and the bloodied up face of Affleck's Rodney, you'll never see another film where this much grime is plastered on the screen. You want everyone to literally get cleaned up and seek a spa treatment of some sort.

When you put it all into perspective though, Out of the Furnace is a satisfactory drama/thriller that for most of the way, wants to give the viewer their money's worth. It's a real movie. It's also dungeonous, depressing, dirty, and grubby. When things come to their forgone conclusion, there is a feeling of scenes being rushed with an ending that although fetching and metaphoric, is rather abrupt. Ultimately though, "Furnace" gets pretty much everything right despite the forced simplicity bestowed on the movie goer. I wouldn't be surprised if there was maybe one or two acting nominations from the Academy. And if I had the power, I'd personally nominate the whole state of Pennsylvania because it feels like a supporting player suffocating everyone in the movie around it.

To end this review solidly, I will say this: as a perfunctory revenge piece that doesn't quite expand on its complexities, Out of the Furnace is tops all around. But as a serious contender for one of the 5 best films of the year, it may or may not be a little "out of" its league.

Written by Jesse Burleson

Free Birds 2013 * * * Stars

Director: Jimmy Hayward
Year: 2013
Rated PG
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Dan Fogler

If you can get past the fact that the animation is not entirely groundbreaking (I might have thought otherwise had I seen it in 3D), then you'll still find a satisfyingly, sweet natured element to the Thanksgiving themed Free Birds. With characters voiced by the likes of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, "Birds" tells an interesting and enduring story about a band of turkeys (actual turkeys mind you) that come together to stop their species from becoming the main dinner item for thousands of future Thanksgivings. They do this by going back in time to the first day of its inaugural November inception back in 1621. Owen Wilson voices the main character who is Reggie. Reggie, who is teamed up with his polar opposite in Jake (voiced by Woody Harrelson), also falls in love with a resourceful female turkey in Jenny (Amy Poehler). The three of them along with many other of their determined kind, try to escape and outwit a band of colonel hunters led by an evil, gun toting pilgrim named Myles Standish (the sequences involving the Standish character harbor an element of cartoon violence that might have propelled the MPAA board to give this thing a PG rating).

Despite the inclusion of the intense action sequences just mentioned (they might possibly upset really young kids ages 4-5 years old) and a rather limp opening 15 minutes, this is still a pretty solid family film. Watching it, you realize that the story counts here, not the lack of eye popping special effects. The ending which I can't give away, is equally surprising and somewhat inventive. The adult humor which animation flicks add in to keep accompanying parents fitfully occupied, is good in equal bits here and there. The characters which are likable (Owen Wilson's Reggie is one you sympathize with and root for) and charismatically unlikable, don't fade in and out of the proceedings like in so many other types of computer-animated fare (with a large, varied cast).

Overall, Free Birds doesn't quite set the world on fire. It's standardized, harmless fun that does just enough to get by. It also basically adheres to the same formula as any other computed generated exercise in the last decade (complete with a plot involving an innocent/ardently chosen main character followed by a love interest, an antagonist, a couple of protagonists, and a mentor/father figure). But it did come out at the perfect time in theaters (late November of course) and subjugates itself as a outdated yet satisfyingly grave, old fashioned kids movie. I recommend seeing it unless extravagant caricatures like the 3D Frozen and mega hit Despicable Me 2 are what you prefer. Free Birds to me, is something that might have been overlooked this holiday season based on its underwhelming box office take. It's the movie equivalent of a Thanksgiving food that you might have never ate. I say how do you know you won't like it, if you've never even tried it.

Written by Jesse Burleson

Now You See Me 2013 * * * Stars

Director: Louis Leterrier
Year: 2013
Rated PG-13
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo 

To my knowledge, there have been only two movies to come out in theaters this year that have to do with magic. The first one was The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. I haven't seen it yet but the word on the street is that it's a flat out "turkey" (that means that it was a horrible movie). The other magician flick, Now You See Me is pretty solid and rest assured it won't evoke you to scream "gobble gobble!" There is an original element or set up to it even though stuff is borrowed from other films. I say that because as I viewed this movie, I felt as if I was taking in Ocean's 11 meets National Treasure meets The Prestige. If you have an affection for any of the above mentioned, you'll be satisfied at what's on screen. Now I want to reiterate what I just said. Now You See Me evokes the feeling and pace of these movies, not the overall plot description. Let's just say I went in to the theater thinking that I would be confused, messed with, or kept out of the loop. To my dismay, the bulk of it was not too hard to follow and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I knew there would be a twist at the end and I was right. It's a tad implausible but the ride to get there is justified and neatly serviced. True to form, this is a piece of cinema that you'll want to see again the very minute it ends (you'll wanna view it solely to revisit everything that wasn't revealed early on). The movie doesn't make you think too hard. It just makes you think hard enough. That's why I'm recommending it. In Now You See Me, you get Jesse Eisenberg playing a deadpan version of his Social Network character, Sir Michael Caine showing up in a small role (why not, the producers figured since he was in The Prestige, that might get some more interest from the movie going public), a couple of impressive action scenes right out of The Transporter (same director so it's expected), and a car chase that'll cause you to look at the person next to you and go what the...? Anyway, I'll get your hopes a little by saying it's a good movie, but not incredibly compelling and it won't blow your mind per se. What you get from Now You See Me is a breath of fresh air, a sort of escape from all the mediocre features that have stunk up multiplexes all over the country in 2013. After viewing stuff like Gangster Squad, I as your fellow movie patron, needed reassurance and got it in a big way.  

Almost anything I say in relation to the proceedings will be a spoiler so I'll just lay out the players and the improbable set up which grabs you from the word "go." It begins like this: Four magicians are summoned by a higher power to team up and do elaborate shows across the country. Each of them has their own niche. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) is an expert with card tricks, Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) likes to get out of glass boxes filled to the brim with piranhas, Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) is out of this world with the art of mind control and/or hypnotism, and Jack Wilder (James Franco's brother Dave) is a pickpocket and escape artist. Together they form a group called "The Four Horsemen." During their first show in Las Vegas (why not, makes sense), they get an audience member to rob a bank overseas in France. They do this by teleporting him literally within seconds. When the money is clearly stolen and giving to the audience (Oprah Winfrey style), this gets the attention of a high strung detective (Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes) and an attractive French Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent as Alma Vargas). They set out to arrest the fab four with the initial help of Morgan Freeman's character, Thaddeus Bradley. Bradley is also a magician that is legendary for revealing secrets about his peer's magic (or possibly tragic) tricks. 

What stood out and what I embraced most about Now You See Me, is the casting. It's spot on because these actors can play these characters in their sleep. Eisenberg excels at cloying the smart aleck, fast talking narcissus, Ruffalo is always reliable as a concerned and tormented cop, Isla Fisher portrays effectively, a veritable form of window dressing as everyone's favorite eye candy, and Michael Caine has mastered the art of maintaining a strong screen presence (even if it's for 7-10 minutes of screen time). As for Freeman, he appears in pretty much everything these days so it's not worth examining. I will say this though, did he have some dental work done because his teeth are so perfect they might as well be right out of a toothpaste commercial.  

Anyway, there is an adequate amount of hocus pocus to admire here. There is however, a certain flaw in Now You See Me that could easily be discounted from a lot of moviegoer's minds. It's the fact that you don't really get to know "The Four Horseman." These four characters are shown escaping from the law, doing their elaborate stunts, and outsmarting everyone around them (including us, the audience). But the movie doesn't examine what makes them tick. There's also not a lot of information on where they are from and their "nothing up the sleeve" background. Their personalities aren't fully established leaving most of the attention to be diverted to the people that are in hot pursuit of their illegal schemes (Ruffalo and Laurent) and the jealous martyr who wants to profit from exposing their fanatic tricks (Freeman). Again, this is not a major oversight because the movie kind of gets away with it. All in all, this is a two hour exercise that flies by at breakneck speed. And I will say this, a lot of the surprises "The Four Horseman" pull off have to do with misdirection. Despite not getting to know them as an audience member, you just accept the fact that Harry Houdini would have been mighty proud anyway. 

So to end this review, I'll leave you with the tag line for Now You See Me. It suggests, "look closer, because the closer you look, the less you'll see." For me, I sat ten rows back and right in the middle, my favorite seating arrangement. What I had was a good ol' fashioned time at the movies and so will you. Granted, I initially thought of this flick as an odd choice to attend as a summer blockbuster release, but with the Will Smith bomb After Earth coming out in the same weekend, it's safe to say that I stand corrected.  

Written by Jesse Burleson