The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
87
Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 116 minutes
Genre: Drama/Crime
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Willem Defoe, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Music by: Dickon Hinchliffe
Written by: Brad Inglesby & Scott Cooper
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 11, 2014
"Sometimes your battle chooses you"
Film Synopsis:
From Scott Cooper, the critically acclaimed writer and director of Crazy Heart, comes a gripping and powerful drama about family, fate, circumstance and justice. Russell Baze (Oscar® Winner Christian Bale*) leads a dead-end life – he works a meaningless steel mill job all day, and cares for his terminally ill father at night. When Russell’s brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from Iraq, he is lured into one of the Northeast’s most ruthless crime rings and mysteriously disappears. When the police fail to solve the case, Russell puts his life at risk in order to seek justice for his brother. This absorbing film features a knockout cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana and Sam Shepard.
My Take:
I enjoy films that seem to have a story to tell regardless of its root in fact or fiction. To that end I was drawn to Out of the furnace a film that takes place in a small town and centers around two brothers, Russell and Rodney, who haven’t had an easy go of it and essentially are all that one another has.
The narrative, co-written by director Scott (Crazy Heart) Cooper adheres to themes we have seen before but that are no less engaging in their depiction of family, the strife of blue collar existence in a financially meager community and the crime that can accompany such a setting. Russell and Rodney are drawn from formulaic patterns with one being the more resolute and the other being a bit of a loose cannon but what they have in common is a respect and devotion for one another. For Russell life is fairly simple, work at the local steel mill, tend to the needs of his dying father and enjoy spending whatever free time he has with his girlfriend. For Rodney it’s a bit more complicated. He has always been headstrong, quick to anger and after doing a tour in Afghanistan feels a nagging angst that requires an outlet.
The first act of the story sets the characters up well and neatly segues into the second which unsettles both men leading them on a collision course with the film’s antagonist played to disturbing excellence by the always reliable Woody Harrelson. The third act is where the film comes up a bit short as the proceedings shift too much toward contrivances that steer the situations in directions that lack plausibility especially given the earlier plot points. From there it becomes more of a revenge thriller with an eye brow raising ending that, depending on your point of view, may leave you disappointed.
Out of the furnace isn’t a perfect film however there is merit to be found in its slightly uneven story and excellent characterizations as portrayed by its well-placed cast. I found it to be an enjoyable watch that kept me interested over its nearly two hour runtime.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for strong violence, language and drug content.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Out of the furnace comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 34 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.
This video presentation offers little in the way of high Gloss, razor sharp imagery but it seems to represent the film’s elements well. Primary colors appear satisfying while the film intentionally maintains a cooler overall palette that works well against the drab settings featured in the story. Complexions are texturally descriptive with lifelike tonality that varies only slightly among the cast. Resolution is very good although the film’s inherently softer elements leave some wide angle shots with smoother lines and average delineation. Close ups and mid level shots are more revealing of the resolvable detail that draws out subtle textures in the people and objects within the frame. Contrast is on the money and blacks are stable but not overly dynamic in appearance. This wasn’t really a problem as there were few scenes that utilized low level material where this was consistently apparent. I saw no overt signs of video anomalies or compression related artifacts and thought this appeared to be a pristine quality encoding.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well-articulated dialogue. Sound effects had notable dynamic energy so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere and low frequency detail from time to time. The mix does a decent job of creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field’s acoustic environment. Low frequency effects are used to add solidity to sound effects and the film’s music score. I thought the presentation served the source material well and sounded fine
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Out of the furnace is a formulaic drama/crime/thriller that works despite a somewhat uneven script. It’s strength lies in its hard-boiled characterizations and credible performances which elevate it from a middling genre entry to an enjoyable one. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring solid high definition audio/video quality and a lackluster supplemental package. Out of the furnace is an off the beaten path release that is well worth exploring on Blu-ray. Give it a rent.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8801 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
87
Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 116 minutes
Genre: Drama/Crime
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Willem Defoe, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Music by: Dickon Hinchliffe
Written by: Brad Inglesby & Scott Cooper
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 11, 2014
"Sometimes your battle chooses you"
Film Synopsis:
From Scott Cooper, the critically acclaimed writer and director of Crazy Heart, comes a gripping and powerful drama about family, fate, circumstance and justice. Russell Baze (Oscar® Winner Christian Bale*) leads a dead-end life – he works a meaningless steel mill job all day, and cares for his terminally ill father at night. When Russell’s brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from Iraq, he is lured into one of the Northeast’s most ruthless crime rings and mysteriously disappears. When the police fail to solve the case, Russell puts his life at risk in order to seek justice for his brother. This absorbing film features a knockout cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana and Sam Shepard.
My Take:
I enjoy films that seem to have a story to tell regardless of its root in fact or fiction. To that end I was drawn to Out of the furnace a film that takes place in a small town and centers around two brothers, Russell and Rodney, who haven’t had an easy go of it and essentially are all that one another has.
The narrative, co-written by director Scott (Crazy Heart) Cooper adheres to themes we have seen before but that are no less engaging in their depiction of family, the strife of blue collar existence in a financially meager community and the crime that can accompany such a setting. Russell and Rodney are drawn from formulaic patterns with one being the more resolute and the other being a bit of a loose cannon but what they have in common is a respect and devotion for one another. For Russell life is fairly simple, work at the local steel mill, tend to the needs of his dying father and enjoy spending whatever free time he has with his girlfriend. For Rodney it’s a bit more complicated. He has always been headstrong, quick to anger and after doing a tour in Afghanistan feels a nagging angst that requires an outlet.
The first act of the story sets the characters up well and neatly segues into the second which unsettles both men leading them on a collision course with the film’s antagonist played to disturbing excellence by the always reliable Woody Harrelson. The third act is where the film comes up a bit short as the proceedings shift too much toward contrivances that steer the situations in directions that lack plausibility especially given the earlier plot points. From there it becomes more of a revenge thriller with an eye brow raising ending that, depending on your point of view, may leave you disappointed.
Out of the furnace isn’t a perfect film however there is merit to be found in its slightly uneven story and excellent characterizations as portrayed by its well-placed cast. I found it to be an enjoyable watch that kept me interested over its nearly two hour runtime.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for strong violence, language and drug content.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency effects:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
- *Low frequency extension (non-rated element):
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Out of the furnace comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 34 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.
This video presentation offers little in the way of high Gloss, razor sharp imagery but it seems to represent the film’s elements well. Primary colors appear satisfying while the film intentionally maintains a cooler overall palette that works well against the drab settings featured in the story. Complexions are texturally descriptive with lifelike tonality that varies only slightly among the cast. Resolution is very good although the film’s inherently softer elements leave some wide angle shots with smoother lines and average delineation. Close ups and mid level shots are more revealing of the resolvable detail that draws out subtle textures in the people and objects within the frame. Contrast is on the money and blacks are stable but not overly dynamic in appearance. This wasn’t really a problem as there were few scenes that utilized low level material where this was consistently apparent. I saw no overt signs of video anomalies or compression related artifacts and thought this appeared to be a pristine quality encoding.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well-articulated dialogue. Sound effects had notable dynamic energy so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere and low frequency detail from time to time. The mix does a decent job of creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field’s acoustic environment. Low frequency effects are used to add solidity to sound effects and the film’s music score. I thought the presentation served the source material well and sounded fine
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Inspiration: Members of the cast discuss what lead them to their career choice – 3 minutes
- (HD) Scott Cooper – 6 minute featurette
- (HD) Crafting the fight sequences – 5 minute featurette
- (HD) The music of Out of the furnace- 9 minute featurette
- (HD) Theatrical trailer
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
Out of the furnace is a formulaic drama/crime/thriller that works despite a somewhat uneven script. It’s strength lies in its hard-boiled characterizations and credible performances which elevate it from a middling genre entry to an enjoyable one. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring solid high definition audio/video quality and a lackluster supplemental package. Out of the furnace is an off the beaten path release that is well worth exploring on Blu-ray. Give it a rent.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8801 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package