“Harsh Times” (MGM)
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez star in the new film “Harsh Times.” It is a movie about two lost souls who waste their days and waste their nights always thinking tomorrow is going to bring redemption. What it ultimately brings is a waste of time for those who wandered into a viewing of this film.
Jim (Bale) and Mike (Rodriguez) are buddies. Both are unemployed but have high hopes of landing a job. Jim wants to work in law enforcement while Mike is open to a variety of things. Jim actually looks for a job while Mike just rides around in the car saying he will start “tomorrow.”
Jim is a loose cannon. He was in the Army and now has some psychological problems due to his activities overseas. The least thing can set him off and it is merely a matter of time before he blows. Mike is the more sane of the two. He has a steady girlfriend named Sylvia (Eva Longoria), but that relationship is wearing thin due to his letting Jim lead him astray.
In order to watch a movie about two losers, there has to be a point where they learn the error of their ways. That point is never reached in this movie. They start out as losers; they end up as losers.
The acting is actually very good. Bale is one of the best actors in Hollywood today. He is able to make Jim totally stupid when it comes to social graces. He also makes him believable as a man trying to keep the lid on his worst tendencies. You can actually see the struggle going on within him.
Rodriguez is also good. He gives Mike that puppy dog sense of loyalty. You can see how much he admires Jim, but also how much he fears him. Mike lives in Jim’s shadow and seems to like it there.
Longoria doesn’t have much of a role as Sylvia. She is just there to try to keep Mike straight and on the path to finding a job. Her tolerance for his bad behavior is not believable at all. A woman of her looks and intelligence would have left him long ago.
The film is rated R for profanity and violence.
“Harsh Times” is a movie about losers, and in painting their picture the movie becomes a loser itself.
I scored “Harsh Times” a severe 4 out of 10.
