SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE HARD WORD

"THE HARD WORD"
(2003) (Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Heavy	Heavy	Extreme	Moderate	Extreme

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Heavy	None	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Extreme	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: Three brothers are let out of prison so that they can pull off another heist that's been set up by their corrupt lawyer.

PLOT:

Dale (GUY PEARCE), Mal (DAMIEN RICHARDSON) and Shane Twentyman (JOEL EDGERTON) are three brothers in prison for armed robbery. When they're let out, they immediately pull another job, but it's not long before they're picked up by detectives Mick Kelly (VINCE COLOSIMO) and Jack O'Riordan (PAUL SONKKILA).

Although they end up taking the three back to prison, they're actually in cahoots with them and the brothers' corrupt lawyer, Frank Malone (ROBERT TAYLOR). He wants them to pull one last job from which they can all retire, but Dale is reluctant. After all, he's pretty sure that his wife, Carol (RACHEL GRIFFITHS), is having an affair with Frank.

Nevertheless, and to get out of prison again, he and his brothers agree to set up the next heist. The only catch is that Frank has introduced two new partners to the team, Paul (KIM GYNGELL) and the tightly wound Tarzan (DORIAN NKONO). The brothers again reluctantly agree to the change in plans, but when their lone rule of no one getting hurt is broken, they decide to hit the road for good.

Yet, Frank isn't one to give up so easily and he sets out to find the three and their stolen money. From that point on, it's anyone's guess about who will eventually get the upper hand and the last word.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of anyone in the cast or gritty heist pictures, they just might, but this one doesn't seem too enticing to any but the oldest of teens.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For strong violence, language, sexuality and brief drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: Considering the characters and their actions, it's highly unlikely any parents would consider any of them to be good role models.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 106 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Sexually explicit dialogue is also present, as is sexually related material (a woman allows a man to suck on her bare breast, a man caresses a woman's bare breasts, the sounds of sex --a woman moaning -- are heard, and that same woman spreads vaginal moisture on a glass divider as a seductive tease). Some pornographic covers are briefly seen.

Violence consists of several bloody killings via gunfire and other means, while other lethal attempts are also made and some fighting is present. Some of those scenes may be unsettling or suspenseful for some viewers and all of the major characters have bad attitudes of one type or another.

Various characters drink and/or smoke, one drives while drunk, another snorts cocaine, and other imitative behavior also occurs. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Frank opens some champagne and he and Carol have some.
A comment is made about getting "pissed" (drunk) and we then see Carol snort some cocaine.
Kelly and Carol have beer.
We see what looks like beer on a table.
Some bookies have champagne.
A drunken woman, Pamela, gets into her car and then gives a ride to Dale and his friends. She later comments on being "sh*t-faced" (drunk) and that her plan is to get even more that way.
Frank drinks liquor straight from the bottle and appears a bit intoxicated.
Carol drinks wine.

BLOOD/GORE: Shane graphically vomits from food poisoning. We later hear a farting sound from him (from still being sick).
Blood splatters out when a man shoots another man.
Shane has a bloody nose after being hit.
Tarzan shoots a cop dead (with blood on him and splatter on the wall).
Two men shoot each other dead, with their blood splattering onto others (a lot).
We see blood on a man's socks after he's shot there, and then see more of it on them as well as on the floor.
A man jams a lava lamp down into another man's mouth, killing him (with bloody results). We later see his and another man's bloody body on the floor.
It's implied that a person who was shot and killed has now been ground up into frankfurters that are being served to people.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: All of the main characters in the film are involved with or participate in various crimes. Other minor ones, such as some cops and a horse track guy, are also involved.
Carol is cheating on Dale with Frank who later tries to use and setup Dale and the others (including putting a hit on them).
Tarzan kills several people.
Dale and his friends steal a woman's car and then steal another.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence" (actual murders, attempts on others' lives, etc.) might also be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Shotguns/Handguns: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "F*cking apesh*t," "You f*cking pr*ck," "F*ck off," "F*ck you," "F*ck-up" (noun), "Get f*cked," "That's for f*cking sure," "I f*cking love it," "For f*ck's sake," "Stupid f*cking morons," "Where the f*ck are they?" "F*ck that," "That's for f*cking sure," "Really giving me the sh*t," "Gives a sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "No sh*t," "Sh*t-faced" (drunk), "D*ckhead," "Wankers," "Cheeky bastard," "Spaz," "Piss(ed) off," "Bloody" (adjective), "Where the hell are you?" "Clever bastard," "Get pissed" (drunk), "Greedy little tart," "Pissing" (urinating), "Bloke," "Idiot," "Bugger off," "Yes, you bloody well are," "Balls" (testicles) and "Scheming bitch."
In addition, various bits of indecipherable slang are present.
Various characters have tattoos.
Some may be enticed to imitate the criminal behavior, such as posing as cops or security guards to fool others.
Some men jump from a bridge down onto a moving train beneath it.
A drunken woman, Pamela, gets into her car and then gives a ride to Dale and his friends.
While intoxicated, Frank shoots at various statues around a pool.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A heavy amount of suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 106 "f" words (9 used sexually, as are the words "plugging," "poking" and "screwed"), 26 "s" words, 3 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck," "d*ck" and "pr*ck"), 1 (and maybe another) using female genitals ("c*nt"), 2 for breasts ("t*ts"), 2 asses, 2 hells, 2 wankers, 1 bugger and 3 uses of "Jesus" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: We briefly see some porno covers in a hidden display in a library (but it's so brief and the images are so small that no particular detail was noted).
Sex is included in the title of a book and some related comments are made about sexual matters.
Carol, who's having an affair with Frank, tells him not to "make me wet again" since Dale will know. Frank then gropes her clothed butt as they enter a building (where Dale is), but she brushes his hand away. Moments later, we hear moaning sounds of her having sex with Dale (who's just gotten out of prison), all within earshot of the others.
Dale says he knows that Frank is "plugging" Carol and says that he's probably "poking her" right now.
When meeting Dale when he's back in prison, Carol puts her hand at her crotch (in her short dress, but we don't see anything explicit) and then takes her vaginal moisture and spreads it on the divider glass, making a smiley face with it as a tease for Dale.
Carol repeatedly asks Dale, "You think I'm f*cking Frank Malone?" (She then denies it).
A prisoner jokes about getting what sounded like "the clap" from some place he visited.
We see Mal and another man from behind in their underwear (and we see part of one's behind).
We (very) briefly see some porno material (too quick to note any details) inside a fake TV.
Shane talks about sharing one bed at a young age with two other people and his therapist asks if it was a sexual relationship between them. He and the therapist then briefly but passionately kiss (while clothed and in prison).
After snorting some coke, Carol puts her foot (in a high heel) against Frank's clothed crotch (in a suggestive manner).
Frank angrily accuses Carol of "f*cking other people."
Carol gives Shane a sponge bath while he recovers from food poisoning in the infirmary (he's shirtless). He then slowly rubs his head and mouth against her clothed chest and after she lifts her shirt, he graphically sucks on her bare breast (that we see).
Dale asks Frank (about Carol), "You are f*cking her, right?"
A woman shows some cleavage while in her slip in a motel room with Mal (we don't know if anything happens between them) and she later shows more cleavage the next day. Shane later comments that she has "nice t*ts."
The word "screwed" is usually sexually.
After Carol says she and Dale fit together (when he's planning on leaving her), he sarcastically replies that he'll think about that while "your mouth is wrapped around Frank's c*ck."
Shane gives a bare-backed woman a massage. She then rolls over, we see her bare breasts and he runs his hands up over them, prompting her to tell him that he can squeeze them as hard as he likes.
Dale and Carol passionately kiss while clothed.

SMOKING: Carol smokes at least 5 times, O'Riordan several times, Paul once, while a prisoner has a cigarette over his ear.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Shane briefly talks about his parents splitting up long ago and his mother apparently leaving for another woman.
Dale isn't happy that Carol is cheating on him with Frank.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Criminals and the criminal mindset.
Anger issues.
Affairs.
Shane briefly talks about his parents splitting up long ago and his mother apparently leaving for another woman.

VIOLENCE: During a prison basketball game, there are various amounts and degrees of pushing and punching, including one prisoner elbowing another.
The three criminals throw gas canisters into a truck and shoot some sort of small nets onto the drivers and guards (we later see that those who were attacked are unconscious).
Mad about going back to prison, Shane slams a chair into the wall and then into a two-way mirror.
Mal and another man apparently kill a pig in prison to be butchered for food (we hear its squeal).
Frank grabs Carol by the arm and then pushes her against a wall while angry at her.
Frank and Dale struggle in a car (causing it to swerve around the road). Tarzan then fires a shotgun shot through the car's roof, getting their attention and causing them to stop.
Tarzan head-butts Shane and later kicks him in the face.
Tarzan shoots open a locked door with a shotgun that he then uses to shoot two guards dead (with bloody results).
Dale and Mal hold shotguns on some men that they rob. They then knock some cops into walls to subdue them.
Tarzan shoots open another door, grabs a man from the floor and holds his shotgun to him. He then shoots a cop dead (with blood on him and splatter on the wall).
Two men shoot each other dead, with their blood splattering onto others.
A man chases after three other men and repeatedly shoots at them (in a several minute scene). He also bumps into another person and falls to the street during the chase.
A car runs into a person (flipping him up over the hood - but we don't know his condition after that).
A man holds a gun on Frank and then shoots him once in each sock-covered foot (with bloody results). Frank then hits and struggles with that man and another. He then jams a lava lamp down into the second man's mouth, killing him. He then shoots the first man and kills him as well (we don't see the impact of the latter).
While intoxicated, Frank shoots at various statues around a pool.
Frank and Dale aim weapons at each other, but nothing happens.
Carol shoots a man dead (we don't see the impact).
It's implied that a person who was shot and killed has now been ground up into frankfurters that are being served to people.

Reviewed June 6, 2003 / Posted June 27, 2003

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