SummaryFrom the writer of "Training Day," Harsh Times is a gritty look at friendship, loyalty and ambition on the extremely rough streets of south central Los Angeles. (MGM)
SummaryFrom the writer of "Training Day," Harsh Times is a gritty look at friendship, loyalty and ambition on the extremely rough streets of south central Los Angeles. (MGM)
Christian Bale arrasa na atuação como Jim Davis um ex-soldado sem emprego e mergulhado na merda. Um típico Scarface mostrando alguém que caí na desgraça completa.
Freddy Rodriguez também está ótimo como Mike Alonzo o grande amigo de Jim. Terry Crews é fenomenal numa performance de única curta cena. Eva Longoria está excelente também. E Tammy Trull também excelente como a gostosa mexicana Marta. Ótimo filme.
The film's unrelenting bleakness and misanthropic tone is likely to be a turnoff to mainstream performances, but it provides its lead actor with another opportunity to display his riveting intensity.
The real problem with Harsh Times is Jim himself. Bale goes at the part with his usual intensity, but the character still seems like a psycho without psychology or a soul.
Harsh Times is a film that shows the dark side of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is probably why it's judged so harshly. Many people have been affected by ptsd either directly or indirectly so it's understandable if someone doesn't want to see this movie or praise it. But if you can handle the touchy storyline, then it's definitely worth seeing. Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez give standout performances as the lead characters Jim and Mike. Jim is trying to become a cop and Mike needs a job to make his woman happy, but they get sidetracked constantly, which results in trouble. There is a lot of good dialogue and even some funny moments.
Harsh Times is an interesting film that I would say is decisively average. On one hand, it is a brilliant character study into a truly damaged man's mind and the horrific things he experienced. In many ways, this and The Deer Hunter and truly the gold standard of making me feel like I have PTSD myself. Christian Bale is fantastic in capturing this broken man's essence and the problems facing him. Yet, on the flip side, the film seems more content to show its two main characters just messing around and drinking while furthering your hatred for them. Harsh Times is clearly not a believer in creating protagonists that the viewer likes. Though they may be flawed, protagonists should still be somewhat sympathetic. Here, you just want him to get his just desserts. This element really holds back the film as well as the pure joylessness. Obviously a dark film, I have no problem with dark films but here, even when they party they seem to not enjoy themselves. This film is pitch dark. Overall, Harsh Times is an entertaining crime drama/psychological drama, but fails to create sympathetic leads and sputters out of control with its compelling premise.
Un "road movie" à Los Angeles de poissards sur le retour qui fait penser par bien des aspects à Training Day mais c'est surtout le rôle de Christian Bale qui fait penser à... American Psycho ! pas aussi déjanté ou taré certes mais tout de même... En tout cas, du grand Christian Bale qui porte très haut le film sur ses épaules, car loin de nous copier-coller le psycho amerloque, il nous fait un autre numéro, tout en nuances mais tout aussi torturé pourtant : et inévitablement on adhère.
La mise en scène de David Ayer est plutôt présentable mais sans éclat et malgré Christian, Bad Times est trop dilué sur deux longues heures inutiles pour convaincre : on souffle d'ennui dans le dernier tiers, on attend que l'histoire daigne enfin accoucher... d'une souris, car la fin n'est pas à la hauteur des enjeux du personnage. On attendait mieux que ce truc très convenu et sans âme.
L'autre souci concerne le reste de la distribution, très en retrait de Mister Bale, ils sont tellement mauvais qu'on a mal pour eux ! alors dans ces tristes conditions, on ne mentionnera même pas la housewife Eva Longoria nulle à chier comme à son habitude. Non, on en parlera pas, on risquerait de s'énerver.
Comme souvent, un acteur extraordinaire ne suffit à faire un bon film... il le rend (plus ou moins) regardable... néanmoins.