We often see films that focus on the unrelenting brutality of American urban culture’s “mean streets.” What fascinated me about writer-director David Ayer’s “Harsh Times” is the intriguing yet simple way he broached the chasm between the worlds of gang violence and the police forces that attempt to control it – and the parallel universe of corporate America that exists in such close proximity.
Christian Bale again demonstrates his phenomenal range as an actor. He’s cast here as a troubled ex-Army Ranger, recently discharged, but still wrestling with deep-rooted psychological problems and anger-
management issues tied to his exposure to the brutality of war in the Middle East.
Bale’s Jim Davis is a fascinating character study. He clearly possesses great talent, a strong desire to pursue a career in police work, and yet has a tender and sensitive side.
Davis’ best friend is a guy named Mike who, like Jim, is a product of Los Angeles’ South Central neighborhood. Played by “Six Feet Under” star Freddy Rodriguez, Mike’s a fellow who previously led a life noted for the following skills: the ability to drink beer constantly, do drugs and participate in various petty crime sprees.
Mike lives with his longtime girlfriend, Sylvia (Eva Longoria), whom he helped get through law school, but who now expects him to find a real job himself and “go straight.”
Jim’s sensitive side shows in his dealing with Marta (Tammy Trull), a beautiful and loving Mexican woman living right across the border, a woman he knows he should marry.
But Jim’s personal baggage complicates that relationship with an intriguing twist I won’t reveal, which adds great depth to the film’s overall impact.
Mike, too, is the object of tremendous love from Sylvia, a woman who finds her love for him threatened by his constant slips and difficulty in telling her the truth. Instead of searching for a job, he spends his time merely hanging with Jim in their old haunts, drinking and drugging.
Maturity, or the lack thereof, is central to understanding a great deal of “Harsh Times” – a quality needed by so many men, no matter their financial or social standing.
Bale and Rodriguez deliver performances that rate among the best they’ve given us to date in a film that serves as an important wake-up call to any young man or woman who is drifting through equally dangerous times.
“Harsh Times”
R for strong violence, language and drug use|2 hours|DRAMA|Written and directed by David Ayer; photography by Steve Mason; starring Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria, Tammy Trull|Opens today at area theaters.
