Harsh Times

Screenwriter David Ayer (Training Day) steps behind the camera for this violent character study about two friends in South Central Los Angeles who spend their hours committing petty crimes and smoking weed while looking for some form of employment. Jim (Christian Bale) is an ex-Army Ranger with a ferociously unpredictable temper and it's up to his friend Mike (Freddy Rodriguez) to do everything he can to suppress it. It’s ironic that Jim is trying to get a job as an LAPD officer, as he is the last person in the world that is suited for such a position. He is told this by Mike’s girlfriend Sylvia (Eva Longoria) who believes Jim is going down in flames and is taking Mike with him. Mike knows that Jim is a bad influence on others, but he tolerates him for the sake of their friendship. Jim is a trigger-happy sociopath who is not only desensitized to violence, but is also lacking any logical sense. Mike, on the other hand, has some sense, but chooses to ignore it. They are both interesting characters and are played well by the two lead actors. Rodriguez quickly gains the sympathy of the viewer, and Bale has never been scarier. Even his turn as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho was played somewhat for laughs, but here he is absolutely terrifying. The problem lies in the script, which Ayer admits was sitting in a drawer for several years. It showcases a series of ridiculous decisions made by the principle characters and eventually becomes implausibly out of control. By the end of the film, it’s hard not to say, “Well, I knew that was gonna happen.”

Directed by David Ayer.
Written by David Ayer.
Starring Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria, Tammy Trull, Chaka Foreman and J.K. Simmons.

Rated R for strong violence, language and drug use. 120 min.

** so says The Fish