Harsh Times - Evan G.

Writer/Director David Ayer (Training Day, The Fast and The Furious) brings us Harsh Times, an action/adventure story of Jim Davis (Christian Bale), a young combat veteran who is still haunted by his experiences with the war in Iraq. Jim, who is a bit on the psychotic side, searches for a job that involves the LAPD in order to support his Mexican girlfriend Marta (Tammy Trull), supporting his goal to move her across the border so they can marry. However, Jim is too easily distracted by his best friend from childhood, Mike (Freddy Rodriguez). Mike is also searching for a job, largely motivated by his girlfriend Sylvia's (Eva Longoria) threats to kick him out of their home. Jim constantly diverts Mike's attention back to the rough streets of South Central L.A. -- driving around aimlessly, doing drugs, getting drunk, and then lying to Sylvia by making false callbacks from potential employers.

This testosterone-filled indie flick was harsh at times to watch and probably won't be the box-office hit of the year, but it's not entirely terrible. It starts off with an amazing battle sequence from the war but as the story progresses, you begin to realize that not much is happening. The film is really about showing the differences between Jim and Mike, explaining how being in the war has affected both men: Jim becomes numb to disquieting events, whereas Mike becomes traumatized by them.

Regarding the supporting cast, I was hoping to see Eva Longoria play a stronger role. Unfortunately, the stereotypical nagging-girlfriend-wanting-her-man-to-find-a-job part was not much of a stretch for Eva. The last twenty minutes picks up with a dramatic scene that shows just how strong Jim's and Mike's friendship is and how far they are willing to go for one another.