Christian Bale is the hard-working, well-meaning brother in a Pennsylvania steel town. Casey Affleck is his eternal screw-up younger vet brother. When he gets into serious trouble with a meth maniac (Woody Harrelson), older bro is determined to exact revenge. Actors love films like this. They get to be grungy, severe and rough around the edges. This is one of those serious dramas with intense characters, forceful emotions and inevitable tragedy all around. Director Scott Cooper’s camera offers some interesting observations and the strong performances keep the film compelling. It does go on relentlessly too long and persistently grave.