Love the Hard Way

Fresh off of his Oscar-winning performance in The Pianist, Adrien Brody serves up a credible turn as a slick con artist named Jack, who works the streets in the Big Apple. Along with his partner (Jon Seda) and a pair of female confederates acting as hookers, Jack fleeces male tourists by posing as a cop and taking their money in lieu of escorting them into jail. Although the oft-repeated scam is a bit improbable over the long haul, the real plausibility problem arises when a smart and attractive college coed (Charlotte Ayanna) falls hard for the womanizing Jack--first becoming one of the decoys, then actually turning tricks on her own as the first step in an unlikely downward spiral. Thanks to compelling performances and strong direction by Peter Sehr (Kaspar Hauser), the script-challenged Love the Hard Way is still a strong optional purchase. (T. Rich)