Harsh Times

Harsh Times is a 2005 American action crime film written and directed by David Ayer in his directorial debut. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film stars Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Bauer Martinez Entertainment. Ayer says that the film's characters are largely based on the people he knew when he lived in South Central Los Angeles. Plot Former U.S. Army Ranger and GWOT veteran Jim Davis suffers from PTSD. Jim has a Mexican girlfriend, Marta, whom he is determined to marry and bring into the United States to start a life together. With this in mind, Jim returns to Los Angeles, California. There, Jim meets up with his best friend Mike Alonzo. Mike's longtime girlfriend, Sylvia, a young attorney, is "on the warpath" over his failure to get a job (his previous job was outsourced) and she encourages Jim to help Mike hand out resumes. After being denied a position in the LAPD for failing the psychological profile, Jim gets drunk with Mike. The two visit Jim's ex-girlfriend, but when her current boyfriend shows up, a fight ensues in which he is backed up by a group of friends. Jim manages to get the upper hand and when Mike produces a gun, they subdue the men and rob them of their possessions, including marijuana and a handgun which they decide to sell. Jim later leaves messages on Mike's answering machine with different voices, pretending to be companies responding to his resume.