Out of the Furnace.

Some filmgoers will argue that to much attention is given to the soundtrack, with some commending the idea that music in a film is not required but I would put forward an argument that it depends on the movie. For example would Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994) be such a great film without a soundtrack, would Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) be quite so haunting and obviously I could go on. Well get to the point I can hear you saying - ok. Scott Coopers follow up film to the award winning Crazy Heart (2009) has a soundtrack that really compliments what we see on the screen. Even without the Pearl Jam track Release that plays over both the opening and closing credits, it's Dickon Hinchliffe’s score that really underpins the gritty and grim atmosphere in an already atmospheric film, Hinchliffe was a founder of Tindersticks who were credited with six soundtracks for French director Claire Denis including 35 rhums (2008) and White Material (2010). Out of the Furnace (2013) runs the gauntlet of emotions in a film that harps back to the great tradition of tough American movies.  A cross fertilisation between the inbred inhabitants of Winters Bone (2009), the belligerent spirit of The Fighter (2010) and the bleak steelworks setting's and blue collar approach of Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter (1978) is where I see this movie drawing its influences.

 

Russell Baze.

Co-written by Cooper, the movie is set in Braddock, Pittsburgh in 2008. Basically it's the story of two brothers Russell and Rodney Baze. Russell is a hardworking man who cares deeply for his family, girlfriend Lena Taylor, his dying father and of course his troubled brother. Russell works at the local steel mill while his brother is in the army, deployed to Iran four times which has done nothing to improve his state of mind. While on leave he has run up gambling debts with the local crime boss John Petty and has to resort to bare- knuckle fighting in an attempt to pay this off. This in turn leads to his involvement with Harlan DeGroat an evil drug addicted psychopath who gets off on extreme violence. Meanwhile the hard working Russell is sent to prison for a drink driving accident. When he is released the close confines of his world have crumpled, his father is dead, Rodney is throwing fights and Lena has left him for the local cop and is now pregnant.       

 

Rodney Baze.

Be warned this is a violent film right from the opening scene in the drive in movie, up to its gripping climax. Cooper even describes it as ‘an examination of the nature of violence in a society where men solve their own problems'. Certainly an interesting concept and it may sound a familiar story with its Cane and Abel complex reworked, i.e. the good and bad side of the same coin, but don't be fooled this is a brilliantly made movie with a story that never allows the viewer to look away from the screen. DOP Masanobu Takayanagi cinematography captures a vanishing way of life with its deep sense of Americana and the economic decline of industrial America and it's effect on the population of once thriving community but still managing to find beauty in what has essentially become a depressing place. 

       

Harlan DeGroat.

                                                                                                                                           

The director has been quoted as saying that it was important for the film's credibility that it was shoot on location in the town of Braddock and he was proved right. He is obviously a man who has a clear vision of what he wanted from the films strong cast. Even the smaller parts are taken by some very experienced actors including Sam Shepard as Uncle 'Red' Baze and Forest Whitaker as Police Officer Wesley Barnes both of whom make a great job of there minimal time on screen. Willem Defoe plays John Petty a manipulating villain with a sympathetic streak with Woody Harrelson in award winning form as Harlan DeGroat a vicious man who admits to having a problem with everyone! The only female lead is Zoe Saldana as the Russell/Wesley love interest, Saldana will be seen later this year as Nina Simone in the biopic of her life. That just leaves our two main leads, Casey Affleck plays the war veteran Rodney Baze with just the right amount of calculated tension and Christian Bale, riveting as Russell, in what is probably one of his best performances - certainly worthy of consideration for an Award at next years Academy Awards.  It’s not often that I watch a movie twice within a few days!

Now You See Me.

Thanks to an unknown benefactor, four down on their luck street magicians form a collective called ‘The Four Horseman’, although incidentally one’s a woman, with the sole aim of pulling off robbery’s during their high concept magic show performances and with an added touch of Robin Hood they give the money away to their audiences. In the first show in Las Vegas they pull off an ingenious bank robbery in a different country. In the second show in New Orleans, they manage to steal $140 million dollars from a wealthy insurance broker. By this time FBI agent Dylan Rhodes and his French Interpol assistant Alma Day realise that they should track down and make an attempt to arrest the these ‘magical’ criminals.

The synopsis for this ‘big’ movie is actually far better than the finished article, “The more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you” a statement made by one of the illusionists aptly describes French director Louis Leterrier’s latest outing. Like his previous films, including 2008 The Incredible Hulk, there are some great set pieces in a heist movie that involves deception and illusion to steal rather than the normal gunplay. It does its best to make the narrative interesting by constantly jumping from one plot twist to another without a lot of success. A slight of hand movie where you’re never sure who are supposed to be the bad guys and who are the good guys?  It does have a grand ensemble cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine, Isla fisher, Woody Harrelson and French actress Melanie Laurent. But even the high profile of these involved can’t seem to lift this movie beyond its rather dull predictability.

Seven Psychopaths

Martin McDonagh’s film making career has moved to Hollywood after the triumph of In Bruges (2008), which in its self followed the success of his Award winning short film Six Shooter (2004). In Bruges was a film where you could not help laughing out loud at some very brutal scenes made even funnier by the non stop banter between two hit men holed up in the Belgium town to await there next assignment after a contract killing goes horribly wrong. The 27 minute short Six Shooter is about a middle-aged male who encounters a strange young man, possible psychotic, during a homeward train journey following his wife’s death.

 

Give the bloody dog back.......

Made in Hollywood, but apparently founded by in the UK Seven Psychopaths (2012) is not your standard gangster shoot out movie, more a lesson on how not to write a film script! Blocked screenwriter and self confessed alcoholic Marty (Colin Farrell) is tasked with preparing a screenplay for a movie, the only thing he has at present is the title, ‘Seven Psychopaths’, written on the first page of his foolscap note pad. Marty, a peace loving man at heart, knows nothing about the aggressive people who commit violent acts without a shred of remorse. To this end Marty’s friend Billy, an out of work actor, played by Sam Rockwell who makes the most of McDonough quick fire script, agrees to help. Unbeknown to our Irish writer Billy is mixed up with a dognapping business run by Hans (Christopher Walken) a rather dapper gentleman whose wife is in hospital with suspected cancer. The ever-resourceful Billy places an advert in a newspaper asking for psycho’s to come forward if they have stories to tell, ideally giving Marty some background for his screenplay. From this advert we hear (and see) stories about some unlikely people like the Quaker, a brilliant cameo from Harry Dean Stanton, who is prepared to hunt a man, into hell if necessary, he believes raped and murdered his daughter: a Vietnamese monk who has swore revenge against America for the their mass murder of over 400 people at My Lai in 1968 and rabbit loving Zachariah and his partner Maggie (Tom Waits and Amanda Warren) who spent their younger days ‘going round the country killing people going round the country killing people’ i.e. serial killers of serial killers.  Every thing seems to be going jolly well until Billy and Hans kidnap the wrong dog, a shih tzw called Bonny whose identity tag reads ‘Return to Charlie Costello or you will fucking die’ Costello is a psychopathic gangster whose love for his wee pooch borders on the unwholesome. As you would now expect things now go from bad to worse!

 

Charlie and Han's face off in the hospital.

Tarantino is obviously an influence in a film that attempts to send it, and Hollywood genre pictures, up. The experienced English cinematographer Ben Davis makes a good job of photographing both the city of Los Angles and the wide-open spaces of California’s Joshua Tree National Park. The first part of the film is excellent and full of promise but it does lose its momentum the more the film goes on and as Robbie Collin said in the Daily Telegraph’s review ‘self-aware stupidity does not equal wit.’ In other words Martin McDonagh’s writing is not as clever as he thinks it is.

 

Tom Waits has not normally got a lot of 'rabbit'?

Rampart.

Officer Dave Brown.

Dave Brown is misanthrope claiming, to those who will listen, that he is not a racist but hates all people equally! He is also a member of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) where he is known as Date Rape Dave by his colleagues for allegedly killing a suspected serial rapist. His private life is also a bizarre mess, he lives in adjacent houses with his two ex-wives Catherine and Barbara and has a daughter by each, all of whom can’t stand the sight of him. Rampart (2011), co-written by James Ellroy and the films director Oren Moverman, is set in the Rampart Division of LA in the late 1990’s where the local police force were under investigation for unprovoked shootings and beatings, planting evidence, framing of suspects, bribery, drug dealing and various other misdemeanour’s.  When Dave is caught on camera brutally beating a reckless driver that has crashed into his police car the police authorities want him suspended and urge him to take early retirement, but Dave Brown has different ideas.

The 'family man' with one of his daughters.

Moverman’s second feature film is a grim study of a man who has lost his way in the world, a probe into human frailty about a violently dangerous spoilt man-child that has never grown up, bringing to mind Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant (1992). Woody Harrelson plays Dave Brown so convincingly I believe a nomination for a Best Actor Award at the Oscars would have not been out of place, he gives an in depth portrayal of self-absorbed violent public servant but one whose obviously well read and articulate and at times quite captivating, in fact a man you can’t help but have a sneaking regard for. But don’t get me wrong, this is a film where violent tension bulges out of every scene and poses the question why does a Vietnam war veteran turned law enforcement officer go bad, was it the war or perhaps the atmosphere that he works in or maybe its passed down from his father who is described as an old school LAPD police officer, Ellroy’s story does not give you a defined answer but I’m sure viewers will be quite capable of putting their own take on this story.  Highly recommended.

Dave Brown doesn't give parking tickets!