Harsh Times (2005)

I'm stunned that there are so many high ratings of this film. It is rare for both my husband and I to rank a movie so low, but it was sheer torture watching it. The story wasn't worth the annoying aspects of the film. The forced L.A. Latino cool talk is so irritating that I had a hard time staying in my seat. I wanted to pace with my hands cupping my ears. Then the driving around and driving around drinking beer and stopping to smoke some dope. Talking about getting "f--ked up" and getting "biotches". Pulease! I've never seen Christian do a bad job so it must have been the director's fault encouraging over-acting, bad acting. Perhaps Christian read the script with the idea that this would be a challenge. I'm sure he didn't expect a fiasco. So the character was messed up in the military. That doesn't excuse him being an idiot and ruining everyone's lives, including the audience members for the minutes they waste watching this crap. His sidekick is equally stupid. They act more like messed up teenagers than grown men.

Fmovies: Christian Bale has been one of my favorite actors since American Psycho, with his battery of fine films including hits like Equilibrium, Batman Begins, and The Prestige. However, no amount or great future movies could ever atone for having to watch him (poorly) attempting to appear "ghetto" in this mess of a terrible action flick. Did he read the script before he agreed to play the down on his luck hero of Harsh Times? Bale cannot act well in this role, and listening to him moan on about wanting to get "****ed up!" made me want to throw up. Harsh Times? You don't understand the meaning of the words until you sit through this travesty. I can't even allow myself to score this trash any higher than a 1/10, and I think that's being generous.

Saw Harsh Times today, mostly because Bale is gorge! and was blown away. Just one problem, and that is the way Freddy and Christians characters talk: "Wassup dawg/dude/homie", it's grating and annoying. There are some truly shocking, out of the blue moments, and not once is this movie clichéd or predictable. I was disappointed that there were only 20 people at the most in the cinema, especially as it's the first day. The way the ending is shot is very impressive and moving, and stayed with me for ages afterwards. There is a lot of unnecessary swearing, but I suppose that is the way Jim and Mike would speak. Also, Jim is supposed to be 26 but looks a lot older. I was so impressed and can't wait for the DVD, although I won't be surprised the second time round. I recommend Harsh Times very highly; it is emotional, violent, realistic, hilarious, thought provoking, traumatic, inspired, entertaining, gripping, original and shocking.

Harsh Times fmovies. Christian Bale is an actor who is never orthodox. His string of films have in general been breaking moulds and testing his own ability, and more often than not you leave the cinema thinking that you had seen something special.

Having revived the Batman series and out-Lynched David Lynch in "The Machinist", he has now tackled the troubled life of a war veteran who is trying to find a job in order to be able to settle down so he can marry and bring over his wife from Mexico. Alongside him is his best friend who is also in the same situation of finding a job but this time in order to satisfy his frustrated working wife. As always nothing goes as easily to plan.

The two lead actors end up struggling through job rejections, life, gangs, drugs and drinks, and also the struggle to move on from their carefree lifestyle when they were young. Responsibility is a difficult option for the pair of them. The problem is exacerbated by Christian Bale's character's flashbacks and hauntings to the war, which add a frightening and unstable edge to his character.

The film overall takes us on an unpredictable journey following the two men questioning ourselves what we would do if we were in their shoes, and watching the pair of them acting and opting for what they do can be unsettling. Acting is great, direction is interesting and you will not be disappointed. If you like Crash, then in some ways this is in the same vein but not alike to the movie. I thoroughly was interested and enjoyed this movie, and if you want a thought-provoking film then this is definitely for you.

An intense film, that FEELS a lot like Training Day, but with more of a gritty approach, and with actors who seem actually believable... which makes sense since it's based on the real life experiences of the director/writer and people he knows.

Rodriguez (who was at the World Premiere) and Bale give stellar performances. Rodriguez, if this film is well distributed, will get huge exposure and will likely go far. His performance was incredible, believable, and emotional. Bale continues to show that he's one of the best in Hollywood. Sure, he's playing a slightly psychotic, mentally unstable fellow, similar to a number of previous roles he's played, but he does it so well.

Ayer has improved as a writer, and considering this is his feature film debut as a director, he did fantastically. His knowledge as a director shone through in the Q&A after the film. He also made sure to mention the Cannes labs, where he worked on the script for this film, and how it helped him improve as a writer.

Go see it. It's intense, well written, incredibly performed, and is a thinker of a film.

The plot in this film is somewhat like an aircraft that spends a puzzlingly long time taxiing along the runway before it finally gets airborne. Even then, it is not until the final part that the joystick is forcefully pulled back, and with a great whoosh we are up for some very showy loop-the-loops and victory rolls. HARSH TIMES is both sophisticated and ambitious, with intriguing character development. Despite the slow start that had me, an avid fan of Christian Bale, shifting uncomfortably in my seat, it is never the less witty, ingenious, and a pleasure to watch. Christian Bale undoubtedly stole the show.