18. Out of the Furnace
Out of the Furnace is yet another film that looks pretty good on paper. The film's plot centers around two brothers living in the economically-depressed Rust Belt. When the older brother is sent to prison, it sends the younger brother on a downward spiral that will forever change both of their lives. That's a strong enough premise to lure some attention from awards bodies, and adding in the fact that Christian Bale and Casey Affleck star as the brothers, while the rest of the cast includes Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, and Sam Shepard, and you can count me interested. My hesitation over the film's chances at awards glory stems from the film's director: Scott Cooper. In his debut feature film, Crazy Heart, Cooper did manage to direct Jeff Bridges to his first Oscar-winning performance. On the other hand, while critics effusively praised Bridges performance, generally they weren't so high on the movie itself. Cooper still has a lot to prove with Out of the Furnace, and until the film gets some real feedback, it remain in the back of the pack for me.