Just before Batman Starts, Christian Bale made and starred in Harsh Occasions, an excerpt from the finish of a life of a soldier whose experience as in the occupation of Iraq has overthrown his initial Los Angelos thug lifestyle and sends him into the throes of a bloody American persona. With Freddy Rodriguez partnered, the two close friends entwine in a chaotic week of on-the-fence possibilities that spiral tragically out of control, beginning with easy chill-out sessions involving beers, cigarettes and pot and ending in shootouts and bloodbaths.
Directed by David Ayer, writer of Training Day, there's a distinct overlapping of ideas from a single movie to the subsequent. Both are set in Los Angelos and both show a glimpse of the low-level criminal underground that plagues the neighborhoods of southern California. This is achieved by showing the path of the characters, who are criminals, moving from house to home in search of drugs or income or people throughout the film. The difference in Harsh Occasions, nevertheless, is that the characters are not cops, although Christian Bale does play a U.S. soldier whom the Homeland Security is attempting to recruit (does that count?).
The highlight of this film is tied amongst character advancement and direction. The pacing enables for the characters to show their true nature and background really thoroughly and the direction surely forces the actors to be fully engulfed in their roles. The script could be stale if the initial hour wasn't focused on Jim and Mike's friendship with, dare I say, touching scenes of bromance and homey-code companionship.
The true sense of awe with the film is the feeling of uneasiness although the primary characters place themselves in vulnerable situations. Anyone who's ever taken risks in pursuit of an illegal supply of happiness (i.e. any person who's ever gone on a ride to choose up drugs) could relate to being in the car with a comprehensive stranger and cruising about a bad portion of town. David Ayer totally captures this in a way that Training Day really only touched upon -- in Training Day, the risk was becoming taken with somebody who was currently effectively recognized, at least by the police force. In Harsh Occasions, the characters make really poor choices in the name of producing a fast buck and their fate inevitably turns sour. It is in fact nearly tough to watch.
Not completely comprised of original materials, Harsh Times does have a high quality of uniqueness that surpasses many films of its genre. At the very same time, it is a story that could be set in any period from the final 40 years -- replace an Iraq vet with a Vietnam vet in the 60s or 70s doing heroin on leading of the booze and pot and you've got the identical film. The original top quality lies in the modernized sense of the American dream and capitalist attitude, exactly where the peace-loving atmosphere from the Vietnam era is lengthy gone and rather Iraq vets are coming back property to attempt to make one thing of their bank accounts as an alternative of sit around all day shooting dope and this is a a lot far more frequent social pressure of modern America than anti-war activism.
Overall, it's an entertaining flick. Not the greatest of anybody's perform, but great for everyone's resume and a no-brainer to kick back with some beers on a Tuesday evening to.
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