Harsh Times

could not get it to play on usa disc

Christian Bale is Jim Davis a war vet with PTSD. Now that he’s out of the service he’s struggling to find a job in law enforcement. At the same time he and his friend Mike (Freddy Rodriguez) run around Los Angeles drinking, doing drugs, and getting into all kinds of trouble. As Mike’s girlfriend Sylvia (Eva Longoria) says, Mike is dangerous, crazy and he has a gun. The story is about how they live for the day with no thought about the future and where that leads them.Bale always does a great job with his roles and this is no exception. His troubles are always just below the surface. One moment he’s happy talking with Mike and the next thing you know he’s exploding with rage at strangers that he sees at the stop light or acting psychotic with his own girlfriend Marta (Tammy Trull). Then he acts like nothing happened. This is linked back to his PTSD. It’s his crazed personality that drives the movie along and takes you for a ride.C

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.

Christian Bale is so on the edge during this whole film, it's almost like watching a great athlete in action. He's not as fluid and mesmerising as Al Pacino in "Dog Day Afternoon", but you still can't take your eyes off Bale in this film. This isn't a perfect work of art by any means, and it's hard to like two characters who roll around LA in a big car getting drunk and high all the time and talking trash. But like it or not, this story has its feet planted in street reality. I believed Bale's character with all his evil baggage and his complete inability to rebuild his life and redeem himself. It was obvious that he had left the best parts of himself behind in Afghanistan and nobody back home was ever going to help him get his mind right. The character arc is no doubt predictable. You know our man is a bomb and he's going to explode. But the way it happens seems totally believable to me. The way Ayer handled the violence in this film reminds me of Michael Cimino's work in "Year of the Dragon" and "The Deer Hunter". It creeps up on you slow and in your face, but still shocks and rattles you. "Harsh Times" is not a family flick. And yeah, it's damned depressing. You won't watch it with your girlfriend or young children. But it deserves a good hard look. These vets will all be coming home one of these days. Some of them will be able to rebuild their lives. But too many will be part of a new generation of addicts, homeless people and the mentally ill. "Harsh Times" speaks to its times. It may be overlooked today, but it could emerge as a minor classic years from now.

If you liked Training Day you will love this movie. Other than the women, there isn't a likable character in it. With machismo dripping off the screen a damaged vet and his sidekick cut a swath of violence and treachery through LA all the while dreaming about a better life but always sabotaging themselves. Maybe in the end one of them can find some happiness and normality, but the jury is still out on that given the history.

This is a pretty great movie and one of Bale's better ones in my opinion. Good writing, good acting, good camera shots and directing, it's all here. There's only one scene I don't really care for. The clue is, it has to do with Christian Bale needing to pass a urine exam. Other than that, I think this is great entertainment. If you're a fan of Bale then I'd recommend checking it out.

Sitting through the first fifteen minutes was hard going, I really felt like giving up on it, but slowly it started to come together and began to intrigue me as to where it was going. In the end I have to conclude it really did not make the journey. Not sure why but I suspect that too much ground was covered with too little depth. I was willing Bale to pull something extra out of the hat but alas he did not.The stupid flashing lights and camera shake effects when Bale's character has a flashback, are really annoying……must have been an off day for special effects team.This could have been a very good film, but it's not……opportunity sadly missed.However, still worth watching.

David Ayer writes directs and even remortgaged his house to put up the money for this. He is only now getting widespread acclaim for his recent movie Suicide Squad, but this alerted me to his talent back then. Along with the outstanding director is Christian Bale fresh from his first stint as Batman with an unforgettable, brutal and heartbreaking performance as Jim a war veteran trying to get into Law Enforcement in L.A. and reconnect with old pal Mike (the shockingly good Freddie Rodriguez) Theres fun, thrills and a barrel load of pain to be had with this. Eva Longoria looks fantastic as ever but shows shes more than a pretty face as she mixes it with the awesome Bale and Rodriguez.

Good film, just shows how tough life is if you are from the wrong side of town. Dreams are shattered by ambition and stupidity.

German. Did I miss something? Disappointing.

A great East LA film full of violence and hatred.Christian Bale as a killer psycho.jww