Stylish, gritty, and utterly New York City, LOVE THE HARD WAY is a slice-of-life film that pairs two total opposites in a test of wills. Jack (Adrien Brody) is a cocky young bad boy, living in a loft in the Bronx, driving a rundown car, listening to loud hip-hop, and running small scams with a close-knit group of two-bit criminals. He struts the streets with his cell phone in hand, making appointments and always thinking about the next job. A chance meeting leads to a few dates with a fresh young woman, Claire (Charlotte Ayanna), who works afternoons at a movie theater and otherwise studies biology at Columbia University. Claire is more serious than Jack, and instantly makes demands on him. She cramps his style and he does everything in his power to dump her. But she clings on. Finally, in a twisted reversal of roles, everything changes and both of their worlds are thrown into shock and chaos. Meanwhile, the cops are moving in on Jack's operation, and Claire's grades are on the line. Peter Sehr writes, directs, and produces this offbeat love story that casts New York City in a splendorous light, featuring popular locations such as the Columbia University campus and Canal Street's The Screening Room.
Theatrical Release: June 6, 2003 (NY)
June 13, 2003 (LA)
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes
Making-of - 1. U-STORE IT U-LOCK IT U-KEEP THE KEY - Love the Hard Way
Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
Text/Photo Galleries:
Stills/Photos
Director of Photography
Guy DuFaux: Director of Photography
Music
Susan Jacobs: Music, LOVE THE HARD WAY (2003)
Music
Dahoud Darien: Music, LOVE THE HARD WAY (2003)
Review 1:
"...Mr. Brody gets to pull his best acting trick and melt his features into an appearance of trembling, moist-eyed poetic vulnerability..."
Source: New York Times
p.E14 06/06/2003
Review 2:
"...It is daring and inventive, and worthy of comparison with the films of a French master of criminal psychology like Jean-Pierre Melville..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.34 06/27/2003