fistoflegendblog

Not every film has to have a heroic lead and a happy ending. In fact,
some of my favorite films are either dark or depressing (The House of
Yes being one example.) But there are films that use dark as a
starting point and spiral down into a hellish world of hopelessness and
sap your will to go on. Harsh Times is one of those films.

Written before his hit film Training Day, but produced and
directed by David Ayer only last year, this film follows Jim (Christian
Bale), a bad kid from the barrios of Los Angeles, who found his calling
as a military man, mainly because he enjoys killing. He's back from his
stint in the Middle East, and he's looking to become part of the LAPD so
he can settle down and bring his girlfriend Marta over from Mexico.

Suffice to say, things don't go quite as planned, in large part because
Jim is psychotic and wholly self-destructive. Roaming the streets of
Los Angeles like a teenage punk with military training, he's drawn to
trouble like a magnet to steel. He's also dragging down his buddy Mike
(Freddie Rodriguez, "Six Feet Under"), who is a good guy, but a weak
spirit, who follows Jim despite his conscience. His girlfriend (Eva
Longoria) thinks he's looking for a job, but he's just hanging out with
a bad influence.

Watching Jim and Mike while away their time with drugs, violence and
women is an exercise in excess, but without the joy that normally
accompany such activities in . Instead of feeling like partying with the
guys, it's more like watching your friends circle the bowl before
they're flushed. There's nothing to really redeem their path, except
that it allows Bale to let loose, switching from military Jim to street
thug Jim to breaking-point Jim with schizophrenia that would be
frightening if you didn't know how good an actor Bale is.

Though the film is competently constructed, there's a sense that it
could have been about 30 minutes shorter than its current 1:56 length.
While its true that Jim's story is a cumulative one, building with each
twisted interaction, the entire Mexican storyline, which seems like an
attempt to humanize Jim, might have been lost without affecting the
overall film. Plus, the relationship between Rodriguez and Longoria's
characters is a bit stretched out, with each conflict spelled out a bit
too clearly.

Bale is the reason to watch this film, but Ayers script, which doesn't
let the screen stagnate for long, is loaded with action, and his
direction keeps things moving and looking good. The only problem here
might be the use of a visual effect to indicate Jim's mental state. It's
limited use makes it feel a bit out of place when it appears, giving it
a gimmicky feel. If it had been introduced in a more gradual way, like
something out of Fight Club, it might have worked better.

In the end, I'm not sure how this film can be entertaining, unless you
get your kicks from watching lives fall apart. Whereas
Trainspotting followed scumbags with the hope that they'd redeem
themselves, there's no hope here. It's pretty clear early on, that the
only direction anyone in Jim's life is moving is down.