Review of Harsh Times (2005) by David D — 03 Jun 2011

Movie 2 on 4 I watched with friends while drinking a ton of beer while it was raining outside all day and night. What can I say about Christian Bale except that heâ(TM)s as near perfection as one can get for an actor. Heâ(TM)s my favorite actor and his performance in this film is one of my favorites of his. His performance is blistering and in fact Iâ(TM)d have to say that I believe he captured one of the best on screen characters ever depicted in film. He plays an Army Ranger thatâ(TM)s fresh into his civilian life after wrapping up six years of service which involved plenty of trigger time as shown in earlier sequences. Heâ(TM)s applying to all the local law enforcements and federal services and ready to start a new path. He drives around all day with his buddy Mikey helping him look for a job. Freddie Rodriguez plays Mikey and holds his own well with Bale along with his wife in the film played by Eva Longoria. Trouble soon finds these best friends as we watch them cruise through the streets of LA.

This is written and directed by David Ayer who has also brought us such films as Training Day and Street Kings. He writes about cops and robbers with authority having grown up on the streets and being close to both of them. To me this is better than training day in every way. It was filmed in two weeks and has indie film painted all over it. Bale learned Spanish for this film and heâ(TM)s loses himself in the character of Jim Davis. The acting is spot on along with the story and action sequences. Iâ(TM)ve probably seen this film at least 15 times now. Iâ(TM)ve seen it alone and Iâ(TM)ve seen it with friends. Many of the lines in the film have become inside jokes for me and my friends. I can acknowledge that this isnâ(TM)t a masterpiece in the world of film, but it has left such a strong impression on me throughout the years that I have to give this a 10 out of 10.

âYou point and shoot... pop pop... move on... fuck em they shouldn't have been there... you move the fuck on... you do not stop and think about it... it's not a big deal.â?