Review of Harsh Times (2005) by William R — 18 Sep 2009

If more people saw this oddly shaggy LA Thriller, it would probably give the image of Christian Bale as a humorless, intense angry-guy a boost--which is ironic in a way, because his character here, front and center throughout the film, manages to be fascinating in the same way as a traffic accident---well before 'angry Christian Bale' became a youtube punchline.

That's both a strength and a weakness for this film, directed by the writer of TRAINING DAY--a film that, like this, was based around two characters of questionable morals driving around the LA area in a car and causing trouble.

Two differences--unlike TRAINING DAY, HARSH TIMES takes place over a longer time frame--days, not hours. That makes it more believable, but it drains some of the tension. The second difference is that the characters are not police officers--there's no real dichotomy of upholding the law or subverting it.

Instead, you have Freddy Rodriguez (Who is very good) as an unemployed office worker being supported by his lawyer girlfriend (Eva Longoria) while he tries to find a job with his best friend Jim (Bale), a former army ranger haunted by memories of his experiences in Iraq.

Jim's plan is to become a police officer, but he's clearly unable to actually achieve that goal, even when a plum opportunity drops in his lap. These are two characters who are almost actively trying to find ways to keep from climbing out of their rut, and as they roam the streets of Los Angeles, the movie slides towards a conclusion that's both honestly painful to watch, and that leaves you wondering what the preceding hour and a half was for--a cautionary tale perhaps?