The Hard Word [2002]

November 14, 2013

This heist thriller is coming to us from the land down under and it was about time to see what the Aussies have been up to (although it has been well over ten years since the movie was released). Starring Guy Pierce, The Hard Word is definitely hard, opening with a bunch of nasty-looking prisoners playing basketball. This scene lets us know that this will be that juicy, filthy crime/heist thriller that we all crave for. They look like criminals, they act like criminals, they are criminals.

Actually, there are no regular people in this movie, everyone is sort of shady, just like in real life. As a homage to the seventies thrillers, it has an almost noire atmosphere that’s broken up by that humorous undertone that’s so entertaining. It even crosses into dark humor sometimes, making The Hard Word a movie that you should not miss, especially if you are a fan of a genre.

Three brothers Dale, Mal and Shane Twentyman are all incarcerated, serving time for armed robbery. Their scheming lawyer Frank Malone is constantly telling them that they will soon be free men and Dale is especially looking forward to this. He only sees his wife Carol during the visiting hours, and knowing Carol leaving her unattended is not a good idea. It would seem that everyone wants something, and sometimes those interests collide. This is how the hard word is born (that doesn’t really make sense, but it sounds cool).

The screenplay seems to be written by someone who has done his research, as almost everything feels realistic. The “butcher” language that you will hear prisoners using is actually a thing that criminals use so that us muggles cannot understand what are they talking about. By saying the words backward really fast they actually get away with this not only in Australia but in England also.

The acting was superb, just so honest and engaging that you will be surprised how come you didn’t watch this movie earlier (or is this just me). That savage look in Guy’s eyes just got to me, not to mention the rest of the cast comprised of the best Australian actors. We are so used to American thrillers that The Hard Word can come off as character study drama, although this element is also present. You might be also surprised by the pace and the way things are ending, but that’s it. So better hurry and check it out.