Harsh Times (2005) Reviews

• Christian Bale Gives A Blistering Performance - One of the Best On Screen Characters Ever Depicted On Film

  gavmills9302006-08-21

  First off, let me start by saying that I have never been bothered to write a review on IMDb. Although a fan of the site, I skim read reviews, often not having the patience to read the long essays that over-excited people write. However, I feel it is my obligation to express my opinion on this movie because it is one of a short list of movies that has made an impact on me emotionally. I honestly believe that Christian Bale's performance in this movie was truly outstanding. If Denzel Washington can be rewarded for best actor in Training Day then Bale deserves his just rewards for Harsh Times. His portrayal of Jim David, an ex-army ranger, is coated in layers of emotional complexity and psychological deterioration. His ability to transform from an honourable, courteous officer to a full blown psycho and then back to loving boyfriend and 'amigo' is truly terrifying. Sharing much screen time with Bale is a relatively unknown Freddy Rodriquez. He seems to feed off Bale's character and forces the audience to feel sympathy for him as a childhood friend who can't abandon his crazy best friend. A cross between Benny Blanco (Carlito's Way) and Ethan Hawke's character in Training Day, Rodriquez shows his ability in mixing comedic moments up with emotional intensity and apathy. His friendship with Bale is so unpredictable that as an audience, you find yourself laughing with them at one moment and the next on the verge of tears. David Ayer has created a dark, moody portrayal of South Central Los Angeles, very similar to that of Training Day. It's a bleak, bustling environment where the main characters encounter drug dealers, gang leaders, prostitutes etc. What I found interesting was the way Ayer introduced the beautiful barren Mexican landscape amongst the roughness of LA life. This was to show the personal crossroads Bale's character experiences. The choice whether to stay in Mexico and marry his girlfriend, or to satisfy his sadistic urge to kill and work for the drugs squad in Columbia. It's frustrating that Harsh Times will not get the box office recognition it deserves. However, through word of mouth and DVD release, I am certain that this will become a sleeper classic, in the style of Shawshank Redemption. I feel that Christian Bale's performance is as mesmerising as De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver or Edward Norton's character in American History X. His raw approach to the role makes for a startling but very rewarding experience. Overall Verdict: A tour de force of a movie with fantastic performances, stylish direction and an after-taste which will stay with you for a very long time. Not since American History X has a movie affected me on such an emotional level. Christian Bale deserves more credit. Much more..... 9.5/10

• Powerful Performance

  salmartin2006-09-04

  Went to see the movie last night without knowing what it was about. To say that I enjoyed the movie from start to finish would be an understatement! I thought Christian Bale was absolutely fantastic, his depiction of an ex soldier trying to get back to "normal" ie get a job, have a relationship, while slowly (or maybe not so slowly!)slipping into mayhem & madness was Oscar winning material. He was at war with himself on a downward spiral and bringing any semblance of normality with him. I know I certainly felt I was grabbed by the throat and brought along for the ride. It's not often a movie is so scary and so sad at the same time. I loved it!

• Soldiers of the Apocalypse…Harsh Times

  jaredmobarak2006-11-12

  Harsh Times is an intense film. Keeping you on the edge of finding out how crazy events can become seems to be a staple in the writing of David Ayer. He penned the script for the gritty cop drama Training Day and saw its star, Denzel Washington, win an Oscar for his portrayal of the conflicted beast at its core. With his new film, and directorial debut, Ayer has crafted another street drama about people who themselves don't know whether they are the good guys, the bad guys, or both. Don't be surprised if his work soon creates a second starring Academy Award, as Christian Bale is a powerhouse. The raw acting talents of this Brit are unfathomable and thankfully his rejuvenation of Batman has finally allowed those chops to be shown on screen in challenging roles for the masses. Crossing between being the soldier/sir, yes sir type of man with the gangbanger of his past could be a difficult thing to believe for a viewer. Bale deftly changes personas as if he was flipping a switch. His ability to go from crazed lunatic to apologetic, tear-filled and beaten man is amazing to watch. Having a great up-and-coming actor to play off of is a plus as Freddy Rodriguez shines in much the same way Ethan Hawke did in Training Day—playing the straight man whose life is finally on the up and up before his love for a friend drags him back down. The rapport between them is believable and effective in showing us what could be. One of their friends, played nicely by Chaka Forman, gets it right when he says how Bale's Jim used to be so mellow. His fits of rage and confusion come upon him with no warning, showing us what war did to him. Being in the trenches created a man without a moral code, one who needs to not think, but just do. If one's capacity to kill was always there, he/she could probably live their lives being able to turn it off when needed. However, if you were not wired that way to begin with, the stark contrast could fry their mind into not knowing what it should do. Harsh Times shows us that fall into delusion and self-loathing to the point where thinking doesn't factor in at all, action becomes reflex and reflex becomes life. Unfortunately society is not of the shoot first variety like that of a warzone. Ayer has done himself well with this directorial effort. He gets great performances throughout and in multiple languages. Even Eva Longoria was adequate and not a blemish on the film as I initially felt she might be. Ayer shows us all facets of his characters helping to enhance the story. We are privy to the past history of all involved and are allowed to understand each person's motives. Seeing the paradise that Bale has in Mexico adds immensely to the conflict going on inside of him as well. The performance by Tammy Trull is paramount to this fact and her undivided love for her broken man is beautifully expressed. This relationship makes his actions that much more powerfully unfathomable. We have monsters among us in this world and while they can be utilized as a necessity for the survival of our culture, hopefully when their jobs are done they can be helped to assimilate back into society without their ambivalence being able to hurt the ones they love.

• Excellent movie, far more powerful than one would guess

  sir-montag2006-11-17

  I went to see Harsh Times knowing little about it aside from that Christian Bale was in it. It's hard to go into detail without spoiling the plot, but it's an excellent story of two friends down on their luck, one of them an ex-soldier with some serious post-traumatic stress syndrome. All the acting is top-notch, and knowing people very similar to the ones in the movie, I would say that it is spot-on, which is a very hard thing for any actor to nail. A lot of the time when you watch a movie with Brad Pitt in it, you're just watching Brad Pitt be Brad Pitt. As cool as he is, this tends to spoil the movie and any suspense of disbelief. I've seen a lot of Christian Bale movies, and even so, I forgot that it was Christian Bale throughout most of the entire movie. That is an incredibly impressive thing indeed. The movie may not get an Oscar, but it is done superbly well, and Christian Bale is quite possibly the next Anthony Hopkins.

• great acting, very human story

  XAEEM2006-08-19

  I'm glad i haven't seen training day or i'd feel compelled to compare. This film feels real, and the director really makes you feel like you are actually IN the film, in the situation with the characters. You feel part of their lives and start feeling FOR them. Freddy Rodriguez plays a kinda good guy with a weak will and gets roped into anything Jim(Bale) gets him into. His relationship with Eva longoria is something people can identify with. Christian Bale is mind blowing from the moment the film begins (pun intended) he is very believable as Jim and is one crazy SOB in this film, he pulls off the dialogue, attitude and body language really well, You just couldn't tell he was a Brit, let alone welsh. his acting prowess is impeccable. Miles away from the Bruce Wayne he played recently. All in all, its a good film, i won't give away the story, though its nothing extraordinary but it gives us the feel of how life is in crime ridden cities where people fight for survival every single day.