Out of the Furnace

Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Christian Bale, Wood Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Forrest Whitaker. 
Running: 116mins

Out of the Furnace...wow! What a cast we have here. Director Scott Cooper has managed to gather a collection of fine actors who try so hard to make this movie stand out. It does, kind of. 

There is a big gap between Crazy Heart (2009) and even further back with Austin Powers: The spy who shagged me (1999). Jeff Bridges picked up an award for best actor in Cooper's Crazy Heart respectively.

Out of the Furnace is a bleak outlook on the economic crises and its impact on every character surrounding the small town of Rust Belt, Pennsylvania. Unlike his brother, Russell (Christian Bale) is proud to work in the old mill which seems like the only place willing to feed the majority of blue-collar workers. Russell is struggling to cope after losing his missus (Zoe Saldana) to Wesley Barnes (Forrest Whitaker) following a drunken car crash. Fresh out of jail, Russell is desperate to put the past behind him. On the other hand younger brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) is haunted by his servings in the Iraq war. Desperate for money, Rodney takes up bare-knuckle boxing through local gambler and money launderer John Petty (William Defoe).

When Russell finds out about Rodney's blood sport antics he fails in a bid to make him see straight. From there we follow Rodeny down a dark road which leads him to Satan himself Harlan Degroat (Wood Harrelson). Harlan offers Rodney some fights, however Rodney is unaware of the potential outcome of dealing with such an individual.

It is Prisoners all over again as Wesley informs Russell of Rodney's disappearance leading to a build of anger and worry. Destined to take the law into his own hands, Russell struggles to cope with the possibility of never seeing his brother again.

Out of the Furnace is smothered with different characters offering various angles to a film that struggles to hold down an official plot. The scenes are wonderfully shot with the old mill signifying the dirty setting of a troubled town. Far from warm, the woods are the haunting surroundings to an environment struggling to stay on its feet. It is the habitants that live amongst the existing villains of the town who are finding it hard to pack up an live a better life else where. And that is where Scott Cooper's movie tries reeling you in to find sympathy in the movie's protagonist Russell (Bale) when really there is none.

Out of the Furnace is a negative movie based on negative characters caught up in a time of financial crises. The only female in the movie is supposed to be relevant in the life of Russell but adds nothing to the movie. The movie is dominated by males, with Forrest Whitaker, Affleck, Dafoe all performing out of there skin. And that is the small problem with this movie; the method acting is so outstanding that it brushes aside any room for a plot resulting in an underwhelming story. Sure, Bale was ecstatic as always along with Harrelson who is terrifying and unforgettable. It almost suffers from the "villain disease",when a cast of excellences are out-shined by the antagonist; Lawless, Gangster Squad, it happens and this just happened. The scenes involving Harrelson are the most memorable with a climax that is merely satisfying but to look back at the movie you understand why Out of the Furnace was not one of the most talked about movies. It came in under the radar following the fantastic American Hustle which is probably a bit unfortunate for Scott Cooper but these things happen.

Out of the Furnace is not a bad movie (as some critics have labelled it) but you expect the director to create something more extravagant with the actors at hand.

Overall: It is watchable and enjoyable in parts. Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson are the heart and soul of a movie with no obvious plot - but when there is one (relating Casey Affleck) it's over before you know it.











Prisoners

Only God Forgives

It is almost impossible to start off this review without mentioning two things; Nicholas Winding Refn’s cinematic impact, captivating audience global with “Drive” (2009), and of course the continuity of Ryan Gosling’s on-screen success. So of course fans were looking forward to what the two can come up with next in Only God Forgives; a game of who blinks first, who can create the most tension using strictly facial expressions, in fact Refn’s latest vision is so overly pretentious, you just wonder if his ambition to match that of Drive led to sleepless nights, resulting in a very average movie.

Based in the slums of Bangkok, prostitutes and drugs are extremely rife and Julian’s Thai boxing club is at the centre of it all. The club is a smokescreen to hide a family run drug operation in which Julian (Ryan Gosling) runs alongside his brother Billy (Tom Burke). We are not forced to indulge in Billy’s psychotic persona for too long as he is hacked to pieces in a brothel. The savage murder sees the involvement of Julian’s mother Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) whose deranged character has clearly rubbed off Julian, resulting in a Norman Bates style relationship

The Bangkok area is patrolled, tortured and extremely feared by the corrupt Chan (Vithaya Pansringarm); a sergeant of the police who murders his victims in a ferocious way.

On one hand we have Crystal who seeks revenge for her son’s death, and then we have Julian who continues to mourn in the creepiest ways possible as he slowly patrols the darkly red corridors of a brothel, aimlessly looking at the walls. Julian spends his nights fantasising about sexual affection, and drifting in and out of the possibility of a showdown with the murderous Chang.

As expected, Refn hits us with a retro themed sound bite that was so significant in Drive. However, while the stage is set in the gritty visuals of Bangkok, Only God forgives fails to provide an efficient story to back up the design. While the plot is supposed to focus on vengeance, the lack of dialogue from the apparent protagonist (Gosling) is surprising as the director goes on to exaggerate his “knack” of creating tension with facial expressions in every scene. And while Julian and Chang do this very well when they match up, the Dracula style piano tune and the consistent thump of a loud drum really creates the atmospheric tempo as its consistent noise becomes a substitute for any potential dialogue.

The movie survives on small talk, strange looks, slow-motion and unnecessary violence. While Refn expressed his grotesque side in Drive previously, he also had characters to back it up. Sure, we can look at Gosling’s on-screen presence all day but the man lacked any soul this time around. Same goes for the small cast involved who spent most of the time advertising stand-stills. 

The Concept of the movie is recognisable coming from Refn's point of view. It is visually satisfying with the sound similar to that of Drive. The "artsy fartsy" clan may claim to acknowledge a sense of enjoyment from Refn's latest but what seemed obvious to me was that Only God Forgives sounds great, it looks pretty slick and while some sequences may be entertainingly weird, it is very far from wonderful.

5/10

Only God Forgives - Trailer 

Maniac

Elijah Wood has been off the grid lately. Sure he appeared in the Hobbit (obviously), but he hasn't
pitched a starring role in quite a while. So when a small time trailer connecting Elijah and serial killer, I was surprised; not of his return, but his role choice.

Maniac - have you heard of this movie? you are about to, not only through my opinion, but many others. Directed by Franck Khalfoun, Maniac is best described as outlandish, introducing a dark and gritty concept that takes grotesque to a new level.

An introduction of retro style music and dark scenes of mean streets, Maniac delivers a sequence of pure class upon the introduction of Frank (Elijah Wood); a deranged stalker of the streets. From the off we see this kid lacks everything except his skill for murder. Visioned through the eyes of Frank, the grotesque method is forced upon as he stalks, whispers and inevitably chases his first victim through the hallway of a hotel - BOOM - slashed in epic style, the retro music enforces the title of the movie to bolder the screen, Maniac, in thick red old school font. What I was in for? I thought I knew, I was wrong.

Tormented by his nightmarish upbringing, Frank lives in a shop occupied by mannequins; which seem to be his only company. However things change for Frank has his obsession for collecting human scalps is unwillingly put on hold as he meets Anna (Nora Arnezeder); a cute little french girl who takes a liking to the mannequins in his the shop. It is when she requests to rent the mannequins for an exhibition that sees a relationship evolve, but not the way Frank would have wanted it. Struggling to maintain his murderous obsession, Frank continues to slay the women of the streets, while trying to be a friend to Anna - which Frank knows mentally, can never happen.

Sure, people walked out of this movie and rightly so. But I on the other hand loved it. Maniac is a respected horror movie, shot using first person angles. I though that was bad ass because it provided and maintained a level of realness throughout the entire movie. We only get to see Frank in mirror reflections, which in most cases he is seen puking into the toilet as his horrendous physique gives off a shock-horror premise that pumps up the gore in every scene. Not to give too much away, but there is a scene when Frank is pursuing another female, chasing her through a train station and ending up in a car park. Thinking she got away Scott-free, we are with Frank under a car as he slashes her ankle, revealing the entire bone that just popped out of her skin!

There are moments in the movie that just spell unnecessary and down right haunting. We get a fine insight into what potentially drove this kid to insanity and yes it does include his mother in scenes that I can only describe as shock-horror. You might walk out remembering this movie for the wrong reasons. I had to overcome the fact that the deaths in this movie could of actually been the sacrifice of real humans - It is horrifically realistic.

Maniac arrived under the radar. I like those type of movies. Elijah Wood gives a brutal, yet static performance, even though the majority of sequences provide you with nothing other than his bloody hands. Was the plot logical? sure, in a way. I mean it is based on the mind of a serial killer suffering with problems bigger than female hatred. I have to agree with the poster; "a modern horror classic". We are too used to paying into movies that offer the potential of a good scare, but really, chances are, we have seen it time and time again. Maniac forcefully delivers a blender of ingredients mashed up of Michael Myers and Drive. Yes, if Drive was a horror, it would be this.

Overall: A strange movie, but one that is easy to follow. The stalking premise and grotesque scenes will send shivers down your spine. Forget ghosts and demons, Maniac has provided a window of opportunity for producers to follow a similar path.

It is a joy to watch if your squeamish...

8/10

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Rocky (1976)

His whole life was a million to one shot

Rocky will go down as one of the greatest movies ever made. If Sylvester Stallone's story behind bringing Rocky to the big screen is not one to go by, the movie proves just as emotional, ambitious and heavily inspiring. Let's take a trip back in time to review a movie that was scripted by Sly and nearly sold for the price of a few meals.

Pennsylvania is home to many characters stalking the gritty streets of Philadelphia, catering for the company of poverty stricken individuals on every corner. Small-time loan shark and local boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is one such resident of this area. Struggling to make a break-through with the sport he loves, Rocky gets the chance to defy all odds when heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) grants him a once in a life time opportunity to compete for the title.

Although Rocky has adapted to his own company, he looks to keep it that way, even when gym owner and former trainer Micky (Burgess Meredith); comes knocking, offering to lend a hand in helping Rocky survive the fight. With very little choice, Rocky is forced to accept the opportunity from Micky; despite years of bad blood and fall-outs relating to what Rocky could have been, but never was. On the other hand, Apollo's camp is sceptical of his chosen opponent. Apollo can only see the fight going one way. The egotistical big-mouth seems more worried about the media's build up to the fight and what the result of the fight could mean for Apollo's generosity in the future.

Despite being swallowed by a level of pessimistic perceptions, Rocky concedes a level of optimism along with the help and company of Adrian (Talia Shire); a local pet shop assistant who plays a significant role in Rocky's ambition, while an unwritten chemistry quickly evolves, leading to a love story that would carry the saga - from start to finish.

Written and directed by Sylvester himself, Rocky would go on to be one the greatest sporting dramas of our time. Rocky is critically acclaimed for its creation of mixed emotions and extraordinary characters. The fictional biopic (based on the lasting bout between Ali and Chuck Wepner) tends to suck you in from the beginning as the "rags to riches" sympathetic sensation of one man's ambition is heartfelt every time.

Watch as Rocky and Mickey battle the critics of America, sweeping aside the "underdog" perception in a bid to defy the odds. The "Take you back" introduction is one of many nostalgic sequences, even for those who were not around in the 70s (like me).

38 years down the line, Rocky continues to supply a mash up of emotional aspects and exciting sequences. Despite the interactions between Apollo and Rocky, ignoring the well rehearsed annoyance of Adrian's brother Paulie (Burt Young), taking in the memorable "blood sweat and tears" between Rocky and Micky; in my opinion, Rocky stands out significantly due to the presence of Talia Shire. Her performance brings out an ecstatic audition in Sylvester Stallone - revealing a blossoming relationship that makes Rocky a joy to watch, over and over again.

Sylvester Stallone's classical effort picked up an academy award for best picture in 1977 which has resulted in the recognition of Stallone today.

Stay tuned for Rocky 2.

Bullet To The Head

Following the mediocre return of Arnold in my Last Stand review, Sylvester Stallone has never really dispersed. Bullet to the Head is a fine throwback to 80s action movies.

James Bonomo (Sylvester Stallone) is an experienced hit-man. He is given the opportunity to avenge his partners death through Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang); Washington D.C cop looking to nail the same enemy. That enemy is Keegan (Jason Momoa) a ruthless handy man for Robert Morel (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). 

Morel is head of a crime family who is known to have cops and judges under his payroll. However, it is the gruesome death of James's partner that leads to a portrayal of violence, as James and Taylor begin to wipe the gang off the map, one by one in typical Stallone fashion. 

Walter Hill's latest is pretty straightforward, re-creating a genre of movie that fantastically resembles the 80s retro theme. With very little to the plot but revenge, Stallone leads the way in fantastic shape, promoting a high level of violence, with fight scenes such as the massage parlour going down in epic fashion. Each scene is played out with typical buddy-cop interactions, with a routine chemistry similar to Walter's 48hrs (but fails to blend on occasions).

It was great to see Stallone on screen following Arnold's recurrence, taking me back to the bones of his career. The Last Stand failed to that for me. Sure, we could say that Stallone has a bigger modern day catalogue, but his presence on screen, along with his physical shape is overwhelming. We know Stallone fancies the violence, e.g Rambo (2008) and The Expendables, but the latest serves him well because he ain't directing anybody behind the scenes. Walter Hill, who comes with a serious amount of experience has taken Sly on board and made a good-guy bad-guy throw back to an era we know all too well. The retro theme tunes, fight scenes, iconic heartless bad guy and yes, one or two humorous quotes. And Taylor Kwon - who wasn't too bad either. 

Bullet to the Head is surprisingly enjoyable. It is weird because Stallone looks awful in some, yet terrific in others. Walter Hill mashed up all the pros of 80s action, some cons (bad actors) and ran with it. 

Overall: From modern day crap to 80s nostalgia, Walter Hill revives a genre of action that consistently proves forgetting your brain ain't such a bad thing. Bullet to the Head is a joy to watch, with Stallone starring in his best film since Cop Land.

7/10

Related material: Read up on more Sly Stallone with The Expendables 2 review.

Hitchcock

A chapter of romance and suspense; Hopkins and Mirren are a joy to watch

I can't remember the last time I saw Anthony Hopkins on screen; maybe it wasn't a movie worth remembering if I did. But this time around he portrays the master of suspense in what unfortunately isn't a full biopic, but a chapter of great importance regarding the man he would be forever remembered for. 

With movies such as Vertigo and North by Northwest added to his catalogue, Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) is on the look out for an entirely new premise of film making, one that is bound to leave him knee deep in despicable perceptions. With a majority of writers destined to work with Alfred, he struggles to accept a plethora of scripts that ultimately lead him to reading Psycho; a suspenseful novel by Robert Bloch. The book is loosely based on Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. Fascinated by Bloch's creative serial killer, Alfred can see the script for his next movie the more he reads the book. His wife Alma (Helen Mirren) is far from convinced as she consistently reminds him that such a genre is not only unheard of then, but she believes that he is setting himself up for a media crucifixion.

This brief chapter in Hitchcock's life is centred around his desperate fight in persuading Paramount Studios boss Barney (Richard Portnow) to take Psycho to the big screen. While on the other hand we are treated to the highs and lows of his relationship with Alma. Despite her love for Alfred, his frontal involvement with shower victim Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) and twin sister Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) of the Psycho cast is proving difficult to over come this time around. Alfred starts to feel the Pressure as his lack of attention toward Alma results in a solo project, while Paramount Studios on the other hand are beginning to show signs of regret as their reputation hangs in the balance of a film revealing more downs than ups. 

Director Sacha Gervasi shoots another euphoric movie following the Terminal in 2004. However, with a movie entitled Hitchcock, viewers may have expected more of the man himself rather than Alma Reville. There is a huge focus on Alma and her apparent drive toward making Psycho the movie that it is, with some saying she is hugely responsible for helping Psycho to the big screen.  With the movie largely titled Hitchcock, I would have liken to get a deeper insight into the man behind the darkness; instead we get a number of haunting sequences of Hitchcock's nightmares involving Ed Gein. Never the less, it showcases Hitchcock's relationship status in fantastic form with some feel-good romance as well as both personalities offering a comedic twist.

The sequences on the set of Psycho are rare, with the brief chemistry of Janet Leigh and Hitchcock running a little bit short. I would have liken to see more of James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins/Norman Bates, who despite his cameo appearance is quite memorable in what is a shocking resemblance to the original both physically and verbally.

Overall: Hitchcock is a fascinating insight into the life of a man struggling to cope with certain expectations. It is unfortunate this is not a full biopic, however the performance from Hopkins doesn't go unnoticed, along with the chemistry he shares alongside Helen Mirren proving exceptionally funny and emotionally heart-felt. 

7.4/10



The Last Stand

As far as comebacks go, Arnie's route is typical; although its concept of western parody is satisfactory in terms of popcorn entertainment.

Arnie returns to the big screen following what has been quite a successful stint in the chair of Californian Governor. Arnold bowed out of cinema after the Terminator franchise was destroyed in 2003; it was great timing to what was, in my opinion, a parody in comparison to James Cameron's vision.

Post Governor antics and events unspoken, Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as Ray Owens; a veteran sheriff of Sommerton Junction who prior has served his trade as an LAPD officer in Vegas. Considered a place for retirement, Ray is unaware of the trouble heading toward Sommerton.

Modern day bad-guy Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) flees the courts of Vegas and heads toward the Mexican border. Taking a high speed chase (quite annoyingly through-out the entire movie), Gabriel is hell bent on crossing the border, however the only thing standing in his way is a big Austrian sheriff and his rookie accomplices.

Bewildered to the chaos reaching the quiet town, Ray is alerted of the danger through Agent John (Forest Whitaker) of the LAPD.

We discover a re-invented Arnie in typical fashion following a shoot-out in the outbacks of the town. Sheriff Owens discovers a connection between the oncoming fugitive, and Burrell (Peter Stormare); a stranger in the sheriff's territory.

The Last Stand is action packed - in small sequences. Arnie's presence is not what it was however you can't help but relish the fact that such an icon is still blowing heads off with a shotgun (similar to T2 weaponry). As expected, there is a mindless but simple plot. However for a relatively short movie it supplies timeless sequences as it reflects back and forward to the events in Vegas as we are treated with the same "bad guy in a ridiculously fast car" scene. At one stage it felt like he was never going to reach the town of Sommerton. Because you know the before and after events, you can't help but think the movie could have rushed the middle and slowed the end. After all, we are only there for one thing, Arnie!

There is around 80 minutes of comedic effort and western middle of the road cliche's that are told through a cast of amateurs. Depending on your taste, and taking into account what Arnie offers, actors such as Luis Guzmán and Johnny Knoxville become annoying. Sure, they are there to brighten up the movie, while Luis and Johnny were a tad funny, 15 minutes of Knoxville was way too long. The Last Stand is so centred on Arnie's performance that even Forest Whitaker appeared irrelevant, ultimately resulting in quite a crap acting performance.

Nit-picking at acting performances might be too harsh taking into account the simple mind-frame behind such a vivid R-rate movie. After all, Arnie doesn't have a past of Oscar material but he has certainly done better - am I living in the past? Although he does tend to revive the once pump-action madness of the early 90s. The content is similar to Stallone's Expendables however to say the Last Stand is as far-fetched would be wrong. 

There is a level of positivity surrounding Arnie's comeback, with the Last Stand offering a trip back in time. Instead of originality, Jee-woon Kim creates a very similar, yet likable role to match the cliche's of Arnie's career.

Fans of Arnold will be chuffed just to see him feature in his first starring role since 2003. Anyone heading into this flick with a logical view obviously doesn't know the history of Arnie and should some what "Wake up" in life.

Overall: The Last Stand is a typical return for Arnie. Not entirely action packed, the nostalgic good guy - bad guy concept is desperately inserted with a villain who is ever-so irritating. A dumb plot with bad actors can often be ignored by the cheesy one-liners of Sheriff Owens. Great to have him back but maybe a more intense role in the future.

6/10

See it if you like: The Expendables and Walking Tall.

JJ Abrams takes the reigns of Star Wars!

Okay so news broke two hours ago that the official director for the next Star Wars is in Fact, JJ Abrams. The Visual messiah will be pulling the strings to master episode 7 of the roller-coster franchise. Fans can finally sleep following a vicious rumour last week that saw the name of Zack Snyder circle the net; a director of great taste, although one could argue he hasn't done enough to be giving the reigns of the galaxy. JJ Abrams on the other hand, has. That's all for now. Keep an ear out for further comments on this story.