Out of the Furnace (2013)

Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) has attempted to craft a modern version — or at least somewhat recent; it’s set in 2008 — of The Deer Hunter. He succeeds in the first half, which is as much an exquisite examination of masculinity as its inspiration. But Cooper, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brad Ingelsby, doesn’t allow the film to remain a character study; he insists that something must happen. Read the rest of the review here.