When it's finally time to lay down the cards, we discover Roberts was simply trying to get by on his wit and charm, and he didn't have enough of either.
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07/24/03
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The Hard Word (2003)
40
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:81
Fresh:32
Rotten:49
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: This caper flick lacks the originality necessary to elevate it above other films of its genre.
Theatrical Release:Jun 13, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $400,844
Synopsis: Three prisoners are about to be released on bail - DALE (GUY PEARCE), MAL (DAMIEN RICHARDSON) and SHANE (JOEL EDGERTON). Meet the Twentyman brothers. Hard experience and an unspoken bond of... [More]
Starring: Guy Pearce, Rachel Griffiths, Robert Taylor, Damien Richardson
Director: Scott Roberts
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Reviews for The Hard Word
Just when you think you've got it all figured out, there's another disorienting jolt.
07/17/03
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07/16/03
This one's destined for a dusty spot on an Australian video-store shelf.
07/10/03
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07/09/03
'Amiable' is an odd way to describe a crime drama that contains wall-spattering amounts of bloodshed, but it fits The Hard Word.
07/08/03
A Tarantino-esque mishmash of tough crime cliches spit out in Aussie accents.
07/08/03
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07/03/03
It's fun as far as it goes, but that isn't very far.
07/03/03
Top CriticClick to read the article
07/02/03
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07/01/03
Aside from the obviously Australian flavor to everything -- which can be entertaining at times -- there's no X factor to justify the whole exercise.
07/01/03
Top CriticA wily, performance-driven heist-gone-wrong picture with shrewd underworld savvy reminiscent of Snatch without the smug self-awareness.
07/01/03
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06/30/03
The Hard Word may not be the last word in underworld thrills, but, like eternal patsy Pearce, it possesses a certain wild-eyed affability.
06/28/03
Top CriticMuch of The Hard Word feels like hard time.
06/28/03
Nothing new or earthshaking here, but The Hard Word is tense and compelling, with the added charm of a mischievous spirit.
06/28/03
Top CriticIt's way below Jackie Brown and even Trainspotting, though the cast has that Aussie Thing down.
06/28/03
The film has an appeal for lovers of the genre. Little else in this unpredictable thriller by first-time director Scott Roberts requires immediate attention.
06/28/03
Top CriticHard Ward is coherent and sometimes even clever, but it's also a late entry in a genre that's been flogged nearly to death.
06/28/03
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