HARSH TIMES, the directorial debut from one of the writers of TRAINING DAY, David Ayer, could best be described as TRAINING DAY, Latino style.  Set in the South Central area of L.A., one wonders, though, what non-Latino Jim Davis (Brit Christian Bale with an American accent) is doing with all the ‘homies’.  Like TRAINING DAY, HARSH TIMES is a film that offers its actors the opportunity to do great characterizations.

The story centres on Jim.  He is in love with a Mexican, Marta (Tammy Trull) across the border.  To marry her, he seeks work in the LAPD figuring that his former ranger experience in the Middle-East will land him the job.  Trouble is that his mind is all screwed up and Jim is, in reality, a psychotic maniac, killing for drugs, abusing his ex-girlfriend and freaking out more and more often.  His sane best mate, Mike (Freddy Rodriquez) discovers Jim’s true nature eventually.

All this set-up makes opportunity for Bale to give a great performance as the gift wrapped turd, as described by Mike’s girl, Sylvia (Eva Longoria) when seeing him all dressed up.  Rodriguez is great as Jim’s side-kick as well.  The trouble with HARSH TIMES is that nothing else in the film matters.  No real reason is offered to Jim’s illness, sufficient for a hint of trauma during a few flashbacks and Jim’s nightmares.  And for such a psychotic person, Jim is able to reason and take sides pretty well.  A few of Ayer’s written lines are exceptionally funny.  One is the spill of Jim over the phone once he gets a call for a job offer.  “Yes Sir, 6 years, Sir!  Not a problem, Sir!  Good day to you Sir!” The street talk works well to lighten the heavy tone of the film.  Credit has to be given to Ayer for writing in strong female roles in a film that is essentially male event driven.

Ultimately, HARSH TIMES ends predictably the route Ayer wants his film to take.  Not that HARSH TIMES is bad film – it is well acted, realistically set and gripping most of the times, but one wishes the pessimistic feature would be more focused with a message or something.  A serious film about two idiots is difficult to amount to anything.