Today sees the release of a ton of new promotional material for the Scott Cooper-directed Out of the Furnace. Forgive me for the plug but you seriously need to see this film the day it is released (December 6th). I caught it at a press screening last week and thought it was absolutely fantastic. Hands down it’s one of my favorite movies of 2013, packed with tremendous performances and a stirring plot.
Set in the Rust Belt of Pennsylvania, the film features a fantastic ensemble of talent, including Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepard. As I mentioned above, each member of the cast delivers a terrific performance and with Cooper’s assured and confident directing behind the camera, it turned out as one of 2013’s best films.
For those unfamiliar with Out of the Furnace, you can check out the plot synopsis below:
Acclaimed director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) takes audiences on a vivid and intense journey into the heart of a fading American Dream in Out of the Furnace, as fate, family and loyalty drive an ordinary man to take heroic measures to fight for those he loves. Russell Baze (Christian Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) were born and raised in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a hardscrabble Rust Belt hamlet that has been home to generations of American steel workers. Russell followed their father into the mills, while Rodney took the only other option open to young men like him and enlisted in the Army, hoping to find a better life outside of Braddock.
But after four brutal tours of duty in Iraq, an emotionally and physically depleted Rodney returns to a recession-weary town that offers even fewer options than before he left. When a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his younger brother tries to make ends meet by betting on horses and competing as a bare-knuckle boxer. Mired in debt, he soon finds himself enmeshed with a vicious sociopath, Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson), the leader of a ruthless backwoods crime ring in the New Jersey Ramapo Mountains. When Rodney suddenly disappears shortly after his brother is released from prison, Russell descends into a corrupt and violent-fueled world seeking answers. Embarking on a road that few dare to travel, Russell will stop at nothing to bring his brother home.
The new photos that were released today give us some additional looks at the actors in character as well as a couple of behind the scenes shots, depicting Cooper working with his fantastic cast. There’s nothing too revealing here but it’s still nice to get a few more glimpses of the film in the lead up to its release.
As for the clip, it shows off a tense conversation between Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe and Woody Harrelson, which, as you can probably tell just from the brief footage shown, makes for a great scene in the film.
Out Of The Furnace hits theatres on December 6th. Check back at that time for our review, as well as an exclusive video interview that we did with Bale, Harrelson and Cooper.
