Harsh Times

The title of David Ayer's Harsh Times is a little misleading. It sounds like it should deal with honest people trying to make it, but being denied by environmental factors beyond their control. No, this Gulf War veteran (Christian Bale) and his childhood friend (Freddy Rodriguez) get into trouble by yielding to their own self-destructive impulses, so it's hard to extend them much sympathy. In Training Day -- which serves as the unmistakable template for Harsh Times, perhaps because Ayer wrote both films -- Ethan Hawke's character may not be a saint, but at least he's trying to do the right thing. Here, Bale and Rodriguez instigate one scrape after another with all manner of shady streetlife, sabotaging themselves before they've even had a chance to fly straight. This pretty much turns the audience against them from the start. Ayer recognizes that Hawke and Denzel Washington cruising L.A.'s mean streets were the most memorable scenes in Training Day, so he wastes the first 30 minutes trying to duplicate them, dragging the two characters from one gritty set piece to the next. Bale and Rodriguez are both captivating actors, but they don't really pull off the wannabe street banter Ayer has written for them -- which sounds especially strange coming from Bale's mouth. Ayer eventually gets around to some interesting ideas, blaming the mercenary methods Bale practiced (and the military supported) in Iraq for his loose-canon recklessness. And Rodriguez' machismo is repeatedly tested in provocative ways, as he must balance his desire to misbehave with a need to prove himself worthy of his successful girlfriend (Eva Longoria). But these are not good characters with tragic flaws -- they're frustrating hedonists who never learn from their own mistakes. For Ayer, who seems to really love them, that may be a harsh reality indeed. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide