What makes it different from others?

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Harsh times is a very hard film to enjoy. Its a gritty drama, filled with violence, drugs and insanity. That's why people seem to dismiss it, there's so much in-you-face material that the deeper meaning gets ignored.I can't comment too much without spoiling, so I'll just give a recommendation- watch the whole film and try too look past the IMDb score and your first impression of the characters.Bale's acting gets bashed a lot, but that's part of his character. His psychotic behavior and insanity are part of the loud subtlety of this film.Even if we ignore the plot, this movie has a great atmosphere that will appeal to people who enjoy realistic and dark portrayals of real life cities. It reminded me a lot of The Wire.

I might have been able to relate to this . A man tries to get a job and finds himself in all sorts of shenanigans. A simple enough idea but one that never really extends beyond that and you're reminded of earlier and later movies such as TAXI DRIVER and that one of Denzil Washington playing a bent cop . In fact the whole structure of HARSH TIMES resembles the one of TRAINING DAY as the two protagonists roll criminals and get up to all kinds of naughtiness Christian Bale made something of a career out of playing scary nutters and here he is at it again . For a man born in the Welsh valleys he is relatively impressive in these type of roles but the problem I've always had with Bale is that he never seems to communicate a sense of empathy to this audience members . In short his characters are unlikable and I have to say I did find HARSH TIMES very much an unlikable movie

Bale gives a riveting, intensely powerful performance in this grim crime drama. He plays an ex-special forces type trying to land a law enforcement job so he can bring his Mexican sweetie to L.A. But he is also a petty criminal who has increasing flashbacks to his time in combat. And he can't seem to mend his criminal ways, even as he is about to begin a job ostensibly with Homeland Security. There isn't much plot, just strong acting and a sense of the specific time and place, on the streets of south central L.A. I was reminded of STRAIGHT TIME with Dustin Hoffman as an ex-con who can't control his criminal tendencies. Not a movie for kids or anyone expecting another TRAINING DAY. This is not your typical Hollywood fare and was shot for peanuts. It is the kind of gritty flick that actors die for. One caution: The plot takes awhile to kick into gear.

Jim(Christian Bale in a powerhouse performance) is an ex-ranger who wants to make a career in the local law enforcement. He has a friend,Mike(Rodriguez), who is also on the lookout for a job. Mike is married to a lawyer Sylvia(Eva Langoria) who is getting tired of supporting him and wants him to cooperate. The movie follows the two friends as they go boozing,do drugs and do petty crime. Directed by David Ayer,the man who gave End of Watch, this is another realistic movie with dialogues that ring true and great guy talk, laced with expletives. However, unlike End of Watch, this doesn't tug you emotionally. The story is somewhat clichéd but this is saved from disaster with outstanding performance from Bale who is terrific as the barely-on-the-edge ex soldier who you definitely don't want to screw around with. He is ably assisted by Rodriguez and they both together get along like a house on fire. watch it for the performance. 3 out of 5.