MOVIE REVIEW

Hard Word, The  (2003)

Starring: Guy Pearce, Rachel Griffiths
Director: Scott Roberts

Rating: R

Studio: Lions Gate Films

Release Date: 6.13.03

Review Posted: 7.02.03

Spoilers: Minor

By Sara Michelle Fetters

"A Harsh Word for a Hard Sit"

Fraternal brothers Dale (Guy Pearce, Memento), Shane (Joel Edgerton, Attack of the Clones) and Mal Twentyman (Damien Richardson, Mallboy) have a decent little gig going for themselves. Bank robbers by trade (their one rule – no one gets hurt), they’ve spent the last two years in a Sydney prison. Released every few months to stage spectacular heists for their lawyer and friend Frank (Robert Taylor, Vertical Limit), the trio have the perfect alibi after each and every one of their pitch-perfect jobs: because of a deal Frank’s worked with two crooked cops, for all intents and purposes they’ve never been out of prison.

It’s a good arrangement, and Dale knows he has at least a million dollars saved up at this point with only one more theft to pull. Now, with a writ releasing them from prison signed by the governor, Dale and his brothers are ready to start living a much quieter life after this one last job for Frank. The thing is, the lawyer doesn’t want the Twentyman brothers out of prison, and due to a snafu with some “paperwork,” that’s exactly where they’re sent back to after completing the job.

This doesn’t exactly sit well with the brothers. Even though they’ve earned the respect of everyone in the prison, jail isn’t exactly where they want to spend the rest of their natural lives. Besides, what’s the point of risking your life in robbery after robbery if you can’t spend any of the money you’ve earned? What more, Dale is sure Frank is sleeping with his beautiful blonde bombshell of a wife Carol (The Rookie, Hilary & Jackie) and that knowledge not only pisses him off, but also makes him realizes Frank isn’t going to be happy with him just sitting behind bars.

But when the lure of one last, big score in Melbourne comes calling, the Twentyman brothers find it more than a little hard to turn down a potential ten million dollar-plus payday, even if it does mean their lives might be in danger pulling it off. What’s the plan? They could always double-cross Frank and the new associates he’s pulled in for this heist and keep the money for themselves.  They’re pretty sure Frank plans on killing them all and running away with Carol after, anyway, so why not go for it. Needless to say, the brothers are going to have to rely on each other even more to get through the whole mess alive. But then, relying upon each other for their lives comes second nature for the Twentymans, and a chance at both freedom and millions of dollars is just too good a deal to pass up.

The new Australian crime thriller The Hard Way is a mixed bag to say the least. Writer/Director Scott Roberts’ (K2) first film in a decade doesn’t exactly go places other movies haven’t already treaded. In fact, this picture fits the very definition of derivative almost from the word go. Even with all the double, triple and quadruple-crosses going on, this it holds nary a surprise. If anything, the movie is so derivative at times that I could swear I was watching the Cliff Notes version of Snatch or Pulp Fiction, The Hard Word moving in such predictable fashion I could set my watch by it.

Yet, it’s never unwatchable and, in fact, has a light, airy cynicism mixed with real brotherly affection that’s actually quite touching. And while Roberts doesn’t cover any new ground in his script, he does know how to tell a story, the film moving with a delicate precision not usually seen in hard-boiled crime dramas such as this.

It helps he’s got a great trio playing the Twentyman brothers. Both Edgerton and Richardson inhabit their characters with ease, playing them with a gentle humility that’s actually kind of surprising. I kept waiting for them to do something over-the-top or a bit more flamboyant, something out of left field that wouldn’t fit their character’s profiles. Instead, they played them like actual human beings, their emotional foibles and brotherly bonds deeply welded into the passion of their portrayals.

As for Pearce, what more can really be said about the wonderful (and deeply sexy) Aussie actor? From doing drag in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to his work as the by-the-book Ed Exley in L.A. Confidential to going all-out evil in The Count of Monte Cristo, Pierce has been an actor of talent and depth for some time now. That trend continues here, he doing far more to make Dale and The Hard Word interesting than it ever does for him and his resume. In a film that’s destined to be forgotten, his world-weary and deeply passionate turn deserves to be remembered.

I wish I could say the same for Rachel Griffiths. One of the best actresses working today, just check out HBO’s Six Feet Under for proof, Roberts’ film does her a grave injustice. Prancing around on high heels and a Marilyn Monroe hairdo, Carol is a bimbo role and doesn’t remotely do Griffiths justice. Watching her lazily prance around the film, I could almost tell she knew it. It was as if she wanted to be anywhere else than on the set and, as thin and exploitive as the role is, I wouldn’t blame her for a second if that was indeed the case. This is a low-point for her but, with all her beauty and talent, I expect Griffiths to come roaring back with another great role sometime soon. It’s just a shame she had to slum away her time here.

A few great performances aside, The Hard Word is an unfortunate waste of time. While the bonds of brotherly love are evident, a reason for staying in a seat and watching the film all the way through is not. They say crime doesn’t pay and, in this case, it certainly doesn’t cash out on the side of enjoyment.

Rating: 2 out of 4

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