November 13, 2006
Harsh Times
The writer of Training Day attempts to recreate that film while recasting a modern day Travis Bickle as its protagonist
Starring: Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez
Rating: 6/10
Directed By: David Ayer
Runtime: 120 minutes
Starring: Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez
Rating: 6/10
Directed By: David Ayer
Runtime: 120 minutes
It would make sense that the writer of Training Day would return to the world he writes so well for his directorial debut. What isn’t expected is that he would add elements of Taxi Driver and, even, the Friday franchise. For something so muddled, though, Harsh Times plays quite well. Its odd mix is always entertaining if not always consistent.
The film follows two friends as they roam the streets of Los Angeles in search of liquor, drugs, trouble and, to a lesser degree, jobs. Christian Bale plays Jim Davis, a burned out Gulf War vet who wants nothing more than to secure a job with the LAPD and to bring his Mexican girlfriend across the border to be with him. He’s accompanied on his daily jaunts by his best friend Mike Alvarez (Freddy Rodriguez) who is attempting to find a comfortable balance between his partying ways and his home life with his wife Sylvia (Eva Longoria). There wouldn’t be much of a film if the two pals spent the length of the film driving around L.A. getting wasted and the dramatic thrust of the film comes from Bale’s Davis who is a ticking time bomb. He is a terribly disturbed character and the psychotic intensity that Bale brings to the role mirrors that of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. It’s a fascinating portrayal and when compared Bale’s last role in The Prestige it’s a huge indicator of his exceptional range.
Harsh Time is an exceptionally entertaining film but suffers from a lack of consistency. It switches locales, characters and ideas at a feverous pitch which can lead a viewer to feel as if they are watching a series of scenes from disparate films instead of one cohesive film. Harsh Times will most certainly entertain for its two hour running length but its rambling structure prevents it from becoming anything more substantial than an enjoyable night out at the movies.
The film follows two friends as they roam the streets of Los Angeles in search of liquor, drugs, trouble and, to a lesser degree, jobs. Christian Bale plays Jim Davis, a burned out Gulf War vet who wants nothing more than to secure a job with the LAPD and to bring his Mexican girlfriend across the border to be with him. He’s accompanied on his daily jaunts by his best friend Mike Alvarez (Freddy Rodriguez) who is attempting to find a comfortable balance between his partying ways and his home life with his wife Sylvia (Eva Longoria). There wouldn’t be much of a film if the two pals spent the length of the film driving around L.A. getting wasted and the dramatic thrust of the film comes from Bale’s Davis who is a ticking time bomb. He is a terribly disturbed character and the psychotic intensity that Bale brings to the role mirrors that of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. It’s a fascinating portrayal and when compared Bale’s last role in The Prestige it’s a huge indicator of his exceptional range.
Harsh Time is an exceptionally entertaining film but suffers from a lack of consistency. It switches locales, characters and ideas at a feverous pitch which can lead a viewer to feel as if they are watching a series of scenes from disparate films instead of one cohesive film. Harsh Times will most certainly entertain for its two hour running length but its rambling structure prevents it from becoming anything more substantial than an enjoyable night out at the movies.