Harsh Times

Jim Davis (Christian Bale) is a tweaked-out discharged Army Ranger who returns to his South Central neighborhood in Los Angeles to stir up trouble with his best friend Mike (Freddy Rodriguez) in this devastating drama by writer/director David Ayer (writer on "Training Day"). Jim’s plans to marry his Mexican peasant girlfriend Marta (Tammy Trull) and bring her across the border are eclipsed by his desire to join the LAPD. But fate throws him a curveball in the form of a Homeland Security job offer overseas, even as Bale’s drugged-out character descends into a volatile madness that leaves a swath of destruction. "Harsh Times" is a raw and honest reflection on the disastrous effects of war on the soldiers that survive them.

Rated R. 115 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)