Harsh Times
2005, Crime/Drama, 1h 55m
99 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
Despite a dedicated performance by Christian Bale, Harsh Times suffers from a heavy-handed and overly bleak plot. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Jim Davis
Mike Alonzo
Sylvia
Darrell
Flaco
Toussant
News & Interviews for Harsh Times
Critic Reviews for Harsh Times
All Critics (99) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (51)
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It's an amazing performance, one of the best of the year, with Bale truly making you believe in this over-the-top character.
March 24, 2007 -
Harsh Times wins in the end by keeping its fingers wrapped tightly around its viewers' throats.
November 25, 2006 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Harsh Times is an hour-by-hour diary of two crazy, unreliable, irresponsible dudes trying to find a way to fit into the same society they hate, facing one hurdle after another until they appear to butcher half of Los Angeles.
November 15, 2006 -
On the one hand, this grinding interpersonal week-in-the-life thriller is an energetic kick in the face, a no-holds-barred pulp fiction reveling in personal demons, muddy self destruction and the kinetic vitriol of doing things not remotely good for you.
November 13, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review… -
Jim is such a psycho and Mike is such a patsy, we don't care about these guys. We've seen dozens of more interesting head cases in dozens of smarter films.
November 13, 2006 -
Quote not available.
November 11, 2006 | Rating: D | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Harsh Times
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Feb 06, 2012Boring character driven filmBrendan N Super Reviewer
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Oct 02, 2011I was excited to watch Harsh Times cause 1) They had Christian Bale 2) Gritty crime drama Wow.. this movie was crap. The plot was one of the most dull plots to have ever existed; it starts to take off literally in the last 30 minutes. Poorly directed, edited, and shot. The screenplay had no content whatsoever. Christian Bale pulls off a very committed performance but literally everything else fails.Albert K Super Reviewer
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Sep 18, 2011This film just didn't capture me, but it might be a hit for you, a out of control ex gulf war veteran returns home to find a job in law enforcement and he just can't control his anger. only worth 2 1/2 stars from me.Bruce B Super Reviewer
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Aug 28, 2011I know when I think gangster thug, I think Christian Bale or at least I do now, because "American Accent #42" is great. I don't know if there's that many variations of an american accent, but if there are, then Christian Bale knows them. He's so british, he's almost cockney and he couldn't be bothered to play french, at the very least. Man, what is this world coming to where great talents are abandoning their own heritage? These really are harsh times or the next generation of classic rock, where the most british of brits would come out and sing like they just pulled up in a pickup truck with a keg of moonshine whiskey in the back. Well, after hearing this film's soundtrack, it's safe to assume that no matter how much I prey to the almighty Axl Rose, the response is always going to be "Oh-woah-woah, sweet child o' mine, the future looks bleak for quality music." Of course, that's just a problem with humanity, not necessarily a problem with this film, which actually suffers from some faulty editing, slowness, drop-offs in engagement, some overdrawn points, improvable dialogue and a cop-out ending. Of course, what might be the film's biggest problem is that pretty much nothing happens for so much of it. There's plenty of problems surrounding our leads, but there's so little of it that's conveyed sharply enough, that there's hardly any smooth sense of conflict. However, it makes up for that lack of compellingness by bringing on a whole heap of it in the final act and although said final act closes abruptly, it still really hits home. Still, before that, the whole weight of this film lays on the shoulders of the performances, which are charismatic and keep the film rather entertaining. There is plenty of charming banter between characters and the performers' charisma and chemistry make it enjoyable to watch, even though these sequences are rather expendable. Still, when the performers get into the dramatic aspects, they carry the compellingness home and they stand as a strong presence, especially Bale, who is absolutely electric in this film. If you see this film for nothing else, then see it for Bale's incredible performance, because with excellent emotional work, many smoothly played-upon layers and a powerful presence, he really dives into the role and conveys the struggles and pains of his character so sharply that after a while, he completely transforms into the Jim Davis character. In the end, "Harsh Times" falls short on consistently keeping up a compelling atmosphere, but thanks to a strong, charismatic cast - headed by an exhilarating performance by Christian Bale - and an emotionally riveting final act, it ultimately stands as an entertaining character study worth watching.Cameron J Super Reviewer
Harsh Times Quotes
| Polygraph Expert: | "Jim, knock it off. Son, I've been doing polygraph examinations since you were swimming in your daddy's balls, so I know all the tricks |
| Polygraph Expert: | Jim, knock it off. Son, I've been doing polygraph examinations since you were swimming in your daddy's balls, so I know all the tricks. |
| Jim Davis: | Damn, those are bad ass kicks, dawg. You're lucky you got little bitch feet, or I'd be stompin' around in those mother-f****ers |
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