Out of the Furnace

There’s a familiarity to the concept in Out of the Furnace, but a freshness to the execution.

This gritty blue-collar drama explores potentially formulaic ideas such as family loyalty and vigilante justice, but does so with an authenticity to the setting and performances that add a layer of emotional resonance to the material.

The film has a well-defined sense of time and place, depicting small-town Pennsylvania in 2008, with the economic downturn taking its toll on the steel industry and straining the social fabric of the locals.

One family on a downward spiral includes Russell (Christian Bale), a struggling mill  worker whose father is dying of cancer and whose younger brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck) is a soldier who has piled up a large gambling debt since returning from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Not long afterward, Russell spends time in prison for his role in a fatal auto accident, which strains the relationship with his girlfriend (Zoe Saldana). Things don’t get any better for Rodney, either, as he resorts to underground bare-knuckle boxing that entangles him with a sleazy promoter (Woody Harrelson) who doubles as a notoriously violent drug pusher.

Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) and rookie screenwriter Brad Ingelsby take a character-driven approach, conveying a sense of socioeconomic frustration that will resonate with many moviegoers who understand their anger.

Bale again showcases his versatility with an understated portrayal that develops sympathy for a generally ill-tempered and misguided character. Meanwhile, Affleck is compelling as a young man who resorts to desperate measures with a series of decisions driven more by brawn than brains. And Harrelson’s villainous turn is ruthlessly fascinating and morally unhinged.

Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepard are among those who turn in pivotal supporting turns, while Saldana isn’t given much to do as the love interest caught in the middle of this testosterone festival.

Out of the Furnace is contrived in spots yet powerful in others, with a cumulative effect that is neither shocking nor suspenseful. Still, aside from the macho posturing on the surface and the inevitable bleakness and tragedy just beneath it, the smaller moments make the film worthwhile.

Rated R, 116 minutes.