i like training day . i like christian bale . together and they should be a pretty great combination . and together they be and in david ayer directorial debut and harsh time . bale in particular and a always and get the notice of critic when the film hit the festival circuit and and come and go in limited theatrical release late last year . look fairly interesting and i give the movie a watch and and despite the praise and end up be immensely disappoint . jim davis ( bale ) be a war veteran and living in los angeles and try to become a cop . he feel he be destine for it and and despite his heavy drinking and smoking ( sometimes cigarette and sometimes marijuana ) and feel his training overseas make him more than qualify to help clean up the scum in la . he live this desire each day and along with his dream of marry his sweetheart marta ( tammy trull ) from mexico . so while he go on hop for the best and he take his best friend mike ( freddy rodriguez ) around town look for a job . but his heavy psychological trauma may prove to be a problem for jim and his quest . without get into anything more specific and this be the set up for harsh time and and the pattern the film follow for the majority of it runtime ( before take the two main character on a rather obscure road trip to mexico that last for the final act of the film ) . and this be also what work against it . from an ill place and beyond confuse opening in the middle east and the film run through scene after scene practically thrust the viewer right in the middle of the action and and hop they will completely understand the motivation of all of the character and or even why we should even care about them in the first place . right from the start and the viewer get little backstory on jim or mike and and even a the film progress and do not quite get an adequate understanding of who these men be . a i learn it and they be no good loser who drink and smoke while drive and and just get into general mischief instead of what they should be do . i have see ton of childish come of age story like this and and the only difference with this film be that the main character be men in their twenty and and be not be play by the child they be act like . if this mismatch pair be actually from the street and and have be through the harsh time that the title and the film itself suggest and then how can they act like such child . should they not be more hardened and or even more psychologically damage than the film let on . how can they be so simply characterized and and not even for an instant truly believe they should have so many more advanced trait than they do . this seem to be a problem more in the realm of the writer or director and than it be with the actor . a they be and bale delivers a very good performance a jim . i could see the work he put into his portrayal of this evil and conceited individual and and i can see just why he continue to be one of young hollywood most talented possession . even rodriguez and who be get well and good a an actor with each role he take on and do a very good job here a jim sidekick and and voice of reason . but both be clearly hold back by the limit place within the confines of the script . neither be truly more than merely two dimensional in any scene ( whereas the like of bale brilliant patrick bateman in american psycho be a living and breathe three dimensionally twist and perverse monster ) and and even at their best of time and just do not feel well write or describe . the actor look like they be struggle to understand their motivation in every scene and and when they be not give it their all and they just look confused and horrify at the thing that be take place in front of them . it be almost a if ayer ( no stranger to the la streets with a resume include the aforementioned training day and as well a dark blue and s. w. a. t. and and the fast and the furious ) get ahead of himself in construct the story and that he forget to make his protagonist or antagonist actually feel the pain and anguish that the story set out for them . jim and mike be suppose to look like they have fail at life and and show the torment they be face a a result . and while jim do show some distress and mike show nothing but bewilderment . ayer clearly want u to see the chaotic scheme of thing on the la street and but he do not want to commit to any of the idea he bring up . and what should have be a great stretch point from the acclaimed training day quickly morph into amateur first time film making . and even when this muddle mess come to it conclusion and there be still a blatant lack of satisfaction with where it have go . for all it set itself up for and there should be so much more go on . but like it seem before and ayer do not want to commit to anything and so he just let genuine moment of greatness slide past before any of the character can use them . none of the support cast stand out a be worthwhile in their role and and all of them be waste in the grand scheme of thing . they can be glorify extra for all the viewer care and they just do not seem to be need for anything ayer do briefly commit to . if harsh time be worth anything and it be for the decent performance from bale and rodriguez . these be both top notch actor who have clearly do much well work in much good film and but if one be to venture into this jumbled mess and they have to have something to look forward to . negative .