Harsh Times

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Cast

Christian Bale
as Jim Luther Davis

Freddy Rodriguez
as Mike Alonzo

Eva Longoria
as Sylvia

Terry Crews
as Darrel

Chaka Forman
as Toussant

Tammy Trull
as Marta

J.K. Simmons
as Agent Richards

Noel Gugliemi
as Flaco

Blue Mesquita
as Leo

Michael Monks
as Agent Hollenbeck

Armando Riesco
as Alex

Emilio Rivera
as Eddy

Samantha Esteban
as Letty

Tania Verafield
as Patty

Adriana Millan
as Rita

César García
as Listo

Geovanny Corvera
as Wilo

Sonia Iris Lozada
as Gracie

Paul Renteria
as Ranchero

Barry Colvert
as Polygraph Expert

Danny Mora
as Joe

Craig Ricci Shaynak
as Gillespie

Robert Dahey
as Korean Clerk

Nicole Barreras
as Liquor Store Customer

Alex Gomar
as Guy At Party

Abel Soto
as Lil' Chucky

Anthony 'Citric' Campos
as Casper

Armando Cantina
as Little Old Man

Kenny Choi
as Fujimoto

Robert Larabee
as Big Shadow

Guadalupe Vasquez Torres
as Marta's Mom

Armando Sanchez
as Little Old Man

Kenneth Choi
as Fujimoto

Violeta Monroy
as Vicky

Brisa
as Lina

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Critic Reviews for Harsh Times

Audience Reviews for Harsh Times

• Feb 06, 2012

  Boring character driven film
  Brendan N Super Reviewer
• Oct 02, 2011

  I 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
• Sep 18, 2011

  This 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
• Aug 28, 2011

  I 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

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