Customer Reviews

Harsh Times

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Jim is the type of guy that anyone may know. He served his time as a soldier and now it's his dream to become a cop in Los Angeles. The problem is not only does he spend most days drinking, smoking pot, and looking for ways to either get laid or kick the snot out of someone, but his time as a soldier gets to him more than he lets on. He has nightmares every night and usually wakes up screaming, has cold chills, and is just one step away from the brink of insanity. His best friend, Mike, just wants to get a job so he can make his wife happy, but his drinking problem gets him into more trouble than it should. Jim and Mike hang out all the time, so when one gets in trouble the other one has his back. While Mike has his wife, Sylvia, Jim has a girlfriend, Marta, back in Mexico who he hopes to get across the border once he gets that dream job. So when Jim gets a call from Homeland Security and Mike has an interview go really well at one of the best businesses in town, they think their lives are beginning to look up. But what'll happen when Jim finally gets pushed too far? Who will he take it out on and how many people will be caught in the crossfire?

This movie kind of plays out like some of my favorite songs. Things start off slow, but are slowly building towards a big finale. Once things start rolling, it's inevitable to try and resist the mayhem that's sure to ensue. That's a perfect way to describe Harsh Times. The film is generally about a subject I usually have no interest in, but the characters involved, the way events unfold, and the way Christian Bale portrays Jim Luther Davis kept me watching. Watching Jim and Mike basically flush their lives down the toilet by being the screw ups they are was enough to keep my attention, but the film's true gem, other than Christian Bale's performance(which I'll get to momentarily), is the last twenty minutes or so of the film.

Other than the ending, the film has one really surprising scene that caught me off guard. It's just so spontaneous and no one will see it coming. It's an interesting scene, as well. It puts what Jim went through as a soldier into perspective as what happens in said scene doesn't phase him at all, but Mike is practically traumatized in the process. It seems kind of unimportant at the time, but is one of the first scenes that comes to mind after the credits begin to roll.

Christian Bale never ceases to amaze me in the films he's a part of and he's done so yet again. It's interesting that he's had so many different accents amongst all the roles he's had and he's added another one to his repertoire. I guess the weirdest thing for me was watching him as Batman in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and then watching this after that. Now I'm going to expect to hear Batman say something like, "Yeah, homie. That's how we roll in these streets, dawg," the next time I see either one of those films. It's just a transition I didn't expect him to make and so flawlessly. Bale's characterization is also shown in top form in this film, as well. The transformation he makes from beginning to end is incredible. The way the film is edited when Jim is going through one of his episodes is also a nice touch. You know that once the screen has that yellow tint to it that something big is about to go down.

Harsh Times is a crime, drama, thriller that is definitely worth the watch. While the film may not appeal to everyone, it probably has more to offer than anyone gives it credit for. Christian Bale doesn't disappoint as his characterization is as strong as ever this time around. If you're a Christian Bale fan, then there's no reason why you wouldn't enjoy this film. If not, then I still highly recommend it for the finale of the film alone. If you like films ending on an intense note, then you're sure not to go away empty handed. This seems like a film that tends to be overlooked by people that should definitely be giving it more praise than I've ever heard anyone give it. See this film.

This movie was very, very well done in my opinion. Ultra realistic, very gritty, very tense, extremely entertaining. Maybe it made some people squirm, and that's why they didn't like it? The acting was top-notch, and it was intense and realistic in a way that could earn the badge of "uncomfortable". But I love that type of movie. This movie should have garnered more attention and more praise. Christian Bale is ferocious. Grade A.

People watch different kinds of things for pure escapism. For me, its trash talking macho adolescent high jinks where the plot moves fast, the action never stops and there are guns and violence and drugs. My kind of film!

That's the plot of this 2005 flick I caught on TV the other night. It stars Christian Bale as the war veteran. He starts off all lovey dovey with his Mexican sweetheart. He's American and is going back over the boarder to get a job as a cop. He tells her he will return to Mexico, marry her, bring her to America and live happily ever after. Yeah! Right!

First he meets up with his pal, Freddy Rodriguez, who is trying to get a job and live a straight life. Freddy's wife, Eva Longoria is upscale and professional. She has his resumes all ready for him. All he has to do is drop them off with some prospective employers.

Anyway, the war veteran is turned down by the police and the pal would rather hang out than look for work. They get drunk, score some marijuana, and talk dirty a lot. Soon they have guns, are dealing with drug dealers and killing a few people (who we don't really feel sorry for because they are as low-life as our two heroes). Their lives get weirder and weirder and include the veteran being hired by the CIA and a trip to visit his Mexican sweetheart which turns ugly.

There's more and more violence. The ending is inevitable.

I don't know anyone else who would like this film. But I must admit I did enjoy it.

If you don't think this movie is any good, I would hate to know the movies you would like. This is the most underrated movie I've seen in a while. Christian Bale has become one of my favorite actors. I love him in absolutely everything I see him in. And this movie is no different. He seems to embody his characters in such an intense way, it can be scary, and he doesn't disappoint here. For being an Englishman, he does American better than most American actors. I thought the script was well written, and the supporting actors did a good job. That Desperate Housewives chick didn't even get on my nerves.

I rated this film 4 stars because even though I felt Christian Bale was a little removed from his character and seemed a little out of place, the plot kept me glued to the screen waiting for Jim (Christian Bale) to totally self-destruct and yet, delivered it in an unexpected way.

I watched this film expecting one thing from reading the blurb (Jim self-destructs after being turned down by the LA police department), but that summary wasn't really anywhere close. Jim reconnects with his childhood friend Mike (Freddy Rodriguez) from the hood after returning from serving as a Ranger in Iraq or Afghanistan (I never caught the specifics) where his anger issues were put to good use by the government. As the men renew their brotherly bond, they also revisit their drinking, drugging and gansta days while Jim waits to hear back from his LA police application and Mike supposedly looks for another job after being laid off.

We know no good can come from their slide backwards and we watch in horror as it unfolds violently before us. Although Jim is turned down by the police department, that is not what leads to his ultimate undoing. It is when he stands at a cross road and makes a decision that on paper would seem to be the better choice that leads to his furious descent. Jim appears to be the essential Ranger material, stoic and unafraid of anything but we see the truth when he can't sleep without horrific nighmares , we see the cost of his outer bravado that not even his best friend Mike can crack. Jim obviously has problems that are only excerbated by the career path he has chosen over the simple life with his Mexican girlfriend. The beauty and peacefulness of his life in the poor and desolent town in Mexico is poignantly juxtapositioned against the more desirable yet destructive and violent life in California. We also see the comparision of Jim and Mike, both from the same neighborhood and with the same problems yet the choices made at the end, seals their different fates.

One of the points the film seems to make it that it's just as important - if not more - to pay attention to the inner self as much as the exterior or material. It didn't matter how many second chances Jim was given, we knew he was never going to make it but couldn't help watching to the very end.

I picked this movie up in the bargain bin after reading the back cover and I had never even herd of it. It sounded interesting enough. What I didn't realize was how powerful of a movie it was going to be. Christian Bale plays a man who grew up in a Latino community and his best friend is played by Freddy Rodriguez. Bale fought terrorists in Afganastan or some place over there and the way they explain his character he sounds like a killing machine. He and Freddy Rodriguez are looking for jobs and Christian Bale already has one set up. But then he gets a letter saying he is uneligible to become part of the LAPD. He freaks out a bit, but then gets recruited by Homeland Security. So now he just has to drive Freddy Rodriguez around so he can find a job. This leads to a lot of drinking and driving and leaving fake messages on Freddy Rodriguez's answering machine so his wife thinks he is actually looking for a job. But, Christian Bale little by little ends up going crazy because of the effects of going to the war, and Freddy Rodriguez doesn't realize it until too late. I really don't want to give anything away, but the thing I liked most about this movie was that all the events played out like you would think they would in real life. The violence, the way friends talk to eachother, the job process... The movie just gets better and better as it goes along, and only lets up a bit towards the end, but it is still a great movie. Christian Bale is amazing as expected, but Freddy Rodriguez really blew me away. I thought he was even better than Christian Bale.

Rating- 4/5

Jim is a veteran from Afghanistan, whose application to the LAPD is turned down. Mike, his friend, is also searching for a job, but choosing instead to party it up with Jim. But the attrocities Jim saw (and committed) in the war begin to wear on him, encouraging the violent side that lay dormant until then, and he slowly drags Mike down with him, spiraling to a breakdown that could shatter their friendship...if they survive it.

I wasn't sure what to expect from "Harsh Times." I've become quite a fan of Christian Bale lately; and I loved Freddy Rodriguez in "Planet Terror," and thought he would be a great dramatic actor (little did I know, he has a lot of experience in the field; my bad homey, as Mike would say). But I wasn't sure about the concept, if it could hold my attention the entire two hours of the film.

Well, it did, largely thanks to two great performances from the leads. True, Bale doesn't flesh out this role as well as he has others, but he's still one of the best out there. Rodriguez matches him step-for-step, creating one of the best dramatic pairings I've seen in quite some time. Eva Longoria and Tammy Trull, as the love interests on the two men, shine in their brief--yet important--performances. J.K. Simmons offers some nice levity as a Homeland Security agent; it's one of the few light-hearted moments in the film, and even then there's something simmering underneath--when Simmons mutters to Bale "We're all a little wacko here," a momentary chill runs down your spine.

The script--by director David Ayer--is fairly good, especially in the film's second half; it's first half feels like Street Lingo 101, full of "dudes" and "homeys" and the like. It's also a bit strange, seeing the Welsh Bale acting like an American soldier who wants to be an Hispanic gangbanger; Bale's Spanish is spoken low and rapidly, probably so we don't pick up on the accent. Still, those are just minor flaws; once the movie pulls you in--as it will--you'll be on the edge of your seat, moved by tragedy (there's little redemption here, sorry) these two men face as their friendship slowly unravels. "Harsh Times" is a gripping, churning drama of the highest caliber. No pun intended.

"Harsh Times" takes you on a rollercoaster ride into the twisted psyche of a deeply disturbed individual. Who better to do this than Christian Bale, one of the greatest actors working today. He takes you deep into the mind of a self destructive and tormented character. Harsh ? Yes, but Bale makes this movie well worth watching and his performance will certainly give you something to think about.

As in real life, there is a fine line that separates the good guys (cops) from the bad guys (the crooks). Good guys are never just good guys in real life, or in a David Ayer script (TRAINING DAY). Sometimes they are conflicted and sometimes they're just plain old criminal punks. And sometimes they're walking on the edge of a criminally insane abyss. Ayer writes mostly crime drama with rogue cop elements and cop-gone-bad conflict. Ayer directs here for the first time. Christian Bale plays Jim, a whacked-out psychopathic ex-Ranger, recently discharged from Active Duty in The Middle East. Jim drags his best friend Mike, played by Freddy Rodriguez, thru the crime ridden streets of Hispanic East L.A. and down into the dark abyss of his personal psychosis. The two wander aimlessly thru their days drinking, smoking reefer, looking for trouble, and trying to sell a stolen gun. Mike is pretending to look for work, while Jim searches for a law enforcement job that will provide him with a license to kill. The L.A.P.D. doesn't want him, but Homeland Security does. But, something insane is about to spoil Jim's "dream job" ...

That something is Jim.

While the plot appears mundane, the inner life of these two men is anything but prosaic.

The script is an actor's dream. It is a showcase character piece for the fine acting talent of Christian Bale. He produced the film. In my opinion, this is his best performance. (I thought he was "F" ing Great in AMERICAN PSYCHO and THE MACHINIST, but he really excels in this performance. Not once did I think I was watching Christian Bale. Or Patrick Bateman.) Everytime he squints his eyes or turns his head in this film, you're bracing yourself for what might follow. A brilliant actor in an amazing role. Freddy Rodriguez is equally impressive in his role. At first, the two seem oddly incompatible. By the end of the film, they are wallowing in on-screen chemistry. They also have great comic timing together. Excellent job!

Eva Longoria plays Mike's girlfriend. She is poignant and beautiful.

The dialogue is a humorously realistic mix of brazen street lingo and (subtitled) Spanish. Some of it is downright hilarious!

"That's a serious breech of the homey code, man."

Like other reviewers, I was instantly struck with this film's resemblance to TAXI DRIVER. Although, the dynamics of "loner pychosis" is absent from this film. And, this Masterpiece of psychotic Suspense stands entirely on it's own. A brilliant film with brilliant performances. Went to bed last night after viewing this film, and I can't get it out of my head. One of The Best Films of 2006. And David Ayer's Best Screenplay.

This film is an INSTANT CULT CLASSIC!

ENJOY.

This flick touches my soft part, I can really relate to Jims (Bales) Character. Im a former soilder myself and have been witness to similiar situations in combat that have really left a post tramatic impression on me. Thank god I have had alot of support from my family and friends, unfortunatly that is not the case with Jim. He has no family whatsoever other then his surrogate brother portrayed exceptionally by Freddy Rodriguez. He is alone, frustrated with his life, and is a deeply troubled individual. He is in search of happiness but rejects it when it is knocking on his door. He has a chance to marry his beautiful girlfriend but choses a life of violence in joining a special op task force for the homeland security dealing with drug cartels in south america. This flick can be disturbing at times, not for the faint of heart, but it is really realistic in the portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and true brotherhood. I give David Ayer props for this gutsy story he has written and directed. I have to say that this movie is almost good as Training Day which he wrote as well. He is a talented up and coming director. Deserving of 4.5 stars but I gave it 5 because of the connection that I had with Christian Bales character. Its a great movie that is underated and probably misunderstood. I highly reccomend.