Harsh Times

David Ayer, who wrote 2001's high-octane corrupt-cop drama Training Day, returns to the mean streets of Los Angeles for his directorial debut, which centers on a pair of high-strung (and often strung-out) buddies out job hunting. Jim (Christian Bale), a volatile ex-Army Ranger turned down for a position on the police force for psychological reasons but thought to be an exceptional candidate by the Department of Homeland Security (provided he can find a way to conceal his drug use), easily persuades his weaker pal Mike (Freddy Rodriguez) to cruise around and look for trouble. What follows is a record of Jim's descent into rage-filled, violent self-destruction, with Mike along for the ride. Unfortunately, we're provided with so little information about either man that the film feels like little more than a snapshot of a couple of stoked-up lowlifes out on the town—a frantic melee, dripping with cynicism, but so short on meaning that even Bale's pressure cooker performance can't save it. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)