MovieChat Forums > Out of the Furnace (2013) Discussion > Have I seen too many films?

Have I seen too many films?

posted 9 years ago by akirastronaut
7 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed it, was never bored, even though at some point I knew how pretty much everything was going to fold out.

The cast and performances are immense, they're all terrific actors. Woody Harrelson is scary as hell.

Good soundtrack (extra kudos for slipping a bit of Pearl Jam in there), scenery, photography...

But is something missing or am I missing something? Is the script a bit weak?

Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention or my senses have been dulled out, but I didn't see much beyond a straight and predictable revenge story.

I see a critique of Western society and of how the working class is being screwed. They're the ones that go to jail, they're the ones that go fight the wars, and they're also the ones that struggle to pay the bills through dead-end jobs, if they're lucky to have one. All fair points.

I don't know, I wish there was something more, but I'm afraid there isn't, and yet the fact that so many great actors (and Ridley Scott and Di Caprio producing) must mean that they saw something special in the script...

Can someone enlighten me?

"Chinese girls do not come with green eyes"

[–] micirisi 9 years ago

I enjoyed it, was never bored...

The cast and performances are immense, they're all terrific actors. Woody Harrelson is scary as hell.

Good soundtrack (extra kudos for slipping a bit of Pearl Jam in there), scenery, photography...

I don't know, I wish there was something more but afraid there isn't....

Can someone enlighten me?

Yes, I can enlighten you. No offense but you're a schizophrenic. Forget about enlightenment. Just take your medicine don't miss any doctor appointments.

He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.

[–] akirastronaut 9 years ago

Thanks for your contribution, and for chopping my comment up into little pieces. You did a pretty good job at that! Well, I'll be honest though, there's just this little bit that you forgot to read, I put it here for you:

"But is something missing or am I missing something? Is the script a bit weak?

Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention or my senses have been dulled out, but I didn't see much beyond a straight and predictable revenge story."

See?

There's a huge range of feelings between loving and hating a film. Just because I said I was never bored and enjoyed it doesn't mean I can't at the the same time feel that with such a cast and great locations, it's a shame the story didn't have more depth. I know it's a bit subtle, so I'll give you an example you might understand:

Have you ever eaten some pie and thought: "Hmm, this pie is good, and I'm definitely going to finish it.. It's weird though, it doesn't fully satisfy me and feels like a wasted opportunity, because it had the potential to be an amazing pie?"

Can you relate to the point better with the Pie? If not, feel free to use anything that you're familiar with. A gun maybe?

"Chinese girls do not come with green eyes"

[–] jmiller1918 9 years ago

OP, I completely concur. Felt as you did.

I think the craftsmanship involved encourages the viewer to seek bigger themes; and indeed larger ideas are referenced. But it ultimately falls into the well-worn ruts and path of least resistance of a revenge flick, and we realize we've seen this movie a dozen times at least already.

By it's reliance on tropes, it ultimately disappoints. Yet the journey wasn't in vain, as we see some glimmers of greatness and get to watch some fine performances.

[–] blackbrown 9 years ago

I'm sure you'll disagree, but the criticisms you seem to need to be enlightened on all boil down to thinking the whole production should have catered to you personally. You're basically saying you were expecting something at least a little different than what you got and think the filmmakers made objective mistakes in their process because of it.

I think they just made the movie they wanted to. I won't enter it into any competitions for the best movie ever made, but I also don't think that was ever part of the intention behind making it.

[–] akirastronaut 8 years ago

I understand what you're saying, and while I don't know whether you're right or not, it's a fair point.

"Chinese girls do not come with green eyes"

[–] blackbrown 8 years ago

Happy holidays!

[–] Cephalicum 8 years ago

I felt the exact same way. One of the best performances I've seen, but at the same time it felt... disjointed somehow. Definitely enjoyed the movie, but something was slightly off. It's the way the narrative was told I think and the multiple storylines.