The Big Short, Sisters, Son of Saul, Dream/Killer, Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, The Messenger, (T)error

The Big Short

Sisters

Son of Saul

Dream/Killer

Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story

The Messenger

(T)error

Quick capsules on the last of the pre-holiday releases:

American Hustle

It's getting to be an annual tradition.

Out of the Furnace

It doesn't surprise me to learn that CinemaScore audiences assigned "Out of the Furnace" an average grade of C+ this weekend. It's bleak and unremitting, as far from a crowd pleaser as mainstream movies get. But the first half is very good, and even the second half - which becomes a fairly standard revenge story - contains some of the riveting scenes that merit a recommendation for true film fans.

The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan's trilogy-concluding "The Dark Knight Rises" assaults the viewer with the unrelenting bass thump of a Hans Zimmer score (which also marred "Inception"), its queasily violent vision of a downtrodden Gotham held hostage by an unremarkable villain, and endless, nothing-special scenes of hand-to-hand combat, CGI effects, and green-screen projections. At 165 bloated minutes, it's boring beyond belief.