Love the Hard Way (2001)

Director:

Peter Sehr

Writers:

Shuo Wang (novel)
Peter Sehr (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 March 2003 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Romance

Plot:

The story of a petty thief who meets an innocent young woman and brings her into his world of crime while she teaches him the lessons of enjoying life and being loved. |

Plot Keywords:

Thief | Urban Setting | Grandmother Granddaughter Relationship | Telephone Call | Dance Club

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Adrien Brody	...	Jack Grace
Charlotte Ayanna	...	Claire Harrison
Jon Seda	...	Charlie
August Diehl	...	Jeff
Pam Grier	...	Det. Linda Fox
Liza Jessie Peterson	...	Pam
Elizabeth Regen	...	Sue
Katherine Moennig	...	Debbie
Joey Kern	...	Fitzgerald
Jonathan Hadary	...	Boris
Michael G. Chin	...	Asian Businessman #1
Ben Wang	...	Asian Businessman #2
Huan Wang	...	Asian Businessman #3
Ned Stresen-Reuter	...	Brian
Michaela Conlin	...	Cara, Jack's Lover
Lee R. Sellars	...	Dennis (as Lee Sellars)
Sylvia Kauders	...	Mrs. Rosenberg
José Rabelo	...	Cook (as Jose Rabello)
Dave Simonds	...	Librarian
Jeffrey M. Marchetti	...	Biggest Guy (as Jeffrey Marchetti)
John Elsen	...	Interrogating Detective
Miguel Sierra	...	Car Mechanic
Andy Duppin	...	Precision Driver #1
Bobby J. Brown	...	Man in Video Arcade
Steven Goldstein	...	The John in Street
Cheyenne Casebier	...	Laura
Sara Klingebiel	...	Jill
Francisco Lorite	...	Barry
Kris Eivers	...	Tunnel Bartender
Eric Kornfeld	...	Claire's Trick
Keisher McLeod	...	Hooker #1 (as Keisher Mc Leod)
Rue DeBona	...	Hooker #2 (as Ruthann Debona)
Amber Gross	...	Hooker #3
Gregor Manns	...	Large Man #1
Kevin Merrill-Wilson	...	Large Man #2
James Saito	...	Akiri
Robert McKay	...	Louis (as Robert G. McKay)
Chazz Menendez	...	Prisoner #1 (as Chaz Menendez)
Charles Santy	...	Prisoner #2
Mick O'Rourke	...	Prisoner #3
Mitchell Washington	...	Prisoner #4 (as Washington Mitchell)
Peter McRobbie	...	Prison Doctor
Deborah Braun	...	Lab Assistant
Tod Engle	...	Lucky Guy
Grace Garland	...	Female Port Authority Officer
Amy Laughlin	...	Vendor at Hotel Dior
David Ross	...	Russian Guy #1
Slava Schoot	...	Russian Guy #2
Jack Lotz	...	The John in Bedroom
Ernestine Johnson	...	Jack's Neighbour
Charles Duval	...	Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rod Maiorano	...	Jack's Drunken Pal (scenes deleted)
Philip Adkins	...	Smart Mouth Teenager (uncredited)
Frank Hopf	...	Riot Officer (uncredited)
Riley G. Matthews Jr.	...	Riot Officer (uncredited)
Rick Pisarro	...	Undercover Detective (uncredited)
John Tartaglia	...	Jack (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Sehr

Writing credits
Shuo Wang		(novel "Yi Ban Shi Huo Yan, Yi Ban Shi Hai Shui") (as Wang Shuo)
Peter Sehr		(screenplay) and
Marie Noelle		(screenplay) (as Marie Noëlle)

Produced by
Jayne Belliveau	....	associate producer
Manon Bougie	....	development line producer
Jay Cannold	....	line producer
Jason Kliot	....	co-producer
Marco Mehlitz	....	supervising producer
Marie Noelle	....	co-executive producer (as Marie Noëlle)
Martin Paul-Hus	....	development producer
Peter Sehr	....	co-executive producer
Wolfram Tichy	....	executive producer
Wolfram Tichy	....	producer
Joana Vicente	....	co-producer
Kevin J. Moore	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dahoud Darien

Cinematography by
Guy Dufaux		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Christian Nauheimer

Casting by
Ellen Parks

Production Design by
Debbie DeVilla		(as Debbie De Villa)

Art Direction by
Peter Yesair

Set Decoration by
Lydia Marks

Costume Design by
Kathryn Nixon

Makeup Department
Claus Lulla	....	key makeup artist
Waldemar Pokromski	....	hair consultant
Waldemar Pokromski	....	makeup consultant
Nuria Sitja	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Vivian Hylton	....	post-production supervisor
Susanne Kusche	....	production supervisor: Germany
Gretchen McGowan	....	production supervisor
Saskia Rifkin	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin J. Moore	....	first assistant director (as Kevin Moore)
Aida Rodgers	....	second assistant director
Curtis Smith	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Charles Ard	....	scenic
Brian Buteau	....	set dresser
Julie Chrobak	....	lead scenic
Andrew Lassman	....	assistant property master
Bill Lehne	....	construction coordinator (as William Lehne)
Chris Lombardozzi	....	shop electrician
Dan Mahon	....	assistant property master
Kevin Mahon	....	on-set dresser
Phoebe O'Connor	....	art department assistant
Dave Reardon	....	lead dresser (as David Reardon)
Jeffrey Rollins	....	prop master
Zoe Sakellaropoulo	....	development production designer
Connie Schlier	....	scenic (as Constance Schlier)
Ernest Stadler	....	construction grip
Larry Steinberg	....	key construction grip (as Lawrence Steinberg)
Carrie Stewart	....	assistant set decorator
Lois Thompson	....	construction grip
Danielle Webb	....	set dresser
Jessica Zetts	....	on-set charge artist

Sound Department
Michael Barosky	....	sound mixer
Glenn D. Bloom	....	playback operator (as Glen Bloom)
Tschangis Chahrokh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joo Fürst	....	foley artist
Stefanie Geissler	....	foley editor (as Stefanie Geissler Bakan)
Jeanne Gilliland	....	boom operator (as Jeanne Gillilan)
Al Gomez	....	recording engineer: Filmleaders Inc. Los Angeles
Florian Gross	....	project manager: ARRI Sound
Fredrick Helm	....	recording engineer: Cyclops Pictures & Sound NY (as Fred Helm)
Christian Heyne	....	supervising sound editor: Digital Editors/Audio, Munich (as Chris Heyne)
Michael Hinreiner	....	dialog editor
Michael Hinreiner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nico Krebs	....	assistant sound editor
Oliver Mayr	....	re-recording assistant
Daniel McIntosh	....	additional sound mixer
Peter Notz	....	sound recording engineer (as Peter von Notz)
Oliver Oetting	....	recording engineer: Studio Babelsberg (as Oliver Ötting)
Annette Prey	....	dialog editor (as Anette Prey)
Stefan Tischner	....	re-recording assistant
Warren A. Weberg	....	sound utility
Sören Blüthgen	....	mix editor (uncredited)
John D'Aquino	....	boom operator: adr session (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Nicole Iversen	....	title designer: ARRI Digital Film
Lutz Lemke	....	title designer: ARRI Digital Film
Marian Mavrovic	....	title designer: ARRI Digital Film
Angela Reedwisch	....	visual effects producer: ARRI Digital Film
Christian Wieser	....	title designer: ARRI Digital Film

Stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunt coordinator
David Shumbris	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Almeida	....	additional electrician (as William Almeida)
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip (as Robert Andres)
Will Arnot	....	Steadicam operator (as William Arnot)
Will Arnot	....	camera operator (as William Arnot)
Alison Barton	....	first company grip
Gus Bechini	....	additional electrician (as Gustavo Bechini)
Sarah Elspeth Black	....	lamp operator (as Sarah Black)
Hugo Bonilla	....	additional rigging electrician
Mel Cannon	....	grip (as Mel Canon)
Alisa M. Colley	....	second assistant camera (as Alisa Colley)
Lamont Crawford	....	dolly grip
Andy Day	....	gaffer (as Andrew Day)
James J. Ferris	....	additional electrician (as James Ferris)
Michael Fradianni	....	lamp operator
Samuel G. Friedman	....	additional electrician (as Samuel Friedman)
Daryl Furr	....	additional rigging electrician
Susan Gabbay	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Abbot Genser	....	still photographer
Shaun Gilbert	....	additional electrician
Charlie Grubbs	....	rigging gaffer
Rebecca Hoehn	....	second assistant camera
Michael Hunold	....	lamp operator (as Michael 'Spicy' Hunold)
Nils Johnson	....	video assist operator
Francis Leach	....	lamp operator (as Francis 'Bosko' Leach)
Peter Marzulli	....	additional rigging electrician
Tim McNulty	....	camera production assistant
Rocco Palmieri	....	best boy electric
John Panuccio	....	key rigging grip
Igor Potashanik	....	additional grip (as Igor Potashnik)
Robert T. Prate	....	additional grip (as Robert Prate)
Michael Lee Reed	....	generator operator
Allan S. Robinson	....	additional rigging electrician (as Allan Robinson)
Lowell Schulman	....	rigging best boy
Ruth Sergel	....	first assistant camera
Chris Skutch	....	best boy grip (as Christopher Skutch)
Patrick Taistra	....	additional grip
Peter Walts	....	rigging gaffer

Animation Department
Nicole Iversen	....	animator: ARRI Digital Lab
Lutz Lemke	....	animator: ARRI Digital Film
Marian Mavrovic	....	animator: ARRI Digital Film
Christian Wieser	....	animator: ARRI Digital Film

Casting Department
Meredith Jacobson	....	extras casting (as Meredith Jacobson Marciano)
Sabine Schroth	....	casting: Germany

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sarah Annabella Altman	....	assistant costume designer
Mickey Carleton	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Mary E. Carleton)
Wendy Hagedorn	....	wardrobe production assistant
Sarah J. Holden	....	assistant costume designer: pre-production
Pamela Kezal	....	additional wardrobe
Rachel Leek	....	co-wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sarah Flack	....	additional editor
Traudl Nicholson	....	color grader: ARRI Lab
Judith Ramsauer	....	assistant to editor
Renate Siegl	....	negative cutter: ARRI Lab

Music Department
Susan Jacobs	....	music supervisor
Me and the Other Guy	....	composer: additional music
Anne Pope	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jerry Carter	....	driver
Michael Caster	....	transportation co-captain
Walter Chomow	....	driver
Kerry Clark	....	parking coordinator
Thomas Coleman	....	driver
Richard Euell	....	driver (as Richard Evell)
Kenny Gaskins	....	transportation captain
William Gore	....	driver (as William Jr. Gore)
Bethany Holstrom	....	driver
James Kelly	....	driver
Peter Krienbihl	....	driver (as Peter Kreinbihl)
William MacCready	....	driver (as William Mc Cready)
Anthony Martino	....	driver
Gary Qualles	....	driver
Royce Taffer	....	driver (as Royce Taffar)
George Washington	....	driver

Other crew
Alan Aguilar	....	chef: Coast To Coast
Robyn Alcock	....	production office coordinator
Shawn Alexander	....	set production assistant
Aftaab Ali	....	parking assistant (as Ali Aftaab)
Alexandra Bauermeister	....	legal affairs
Britta Calmus	....	production accountant: Germany
Rae Chisolm	....	parking assistant
Peter Chubenko	....	assistant location manager
Lioba Cremer	....	legal affairs
Juliet D'Annibale	....	production coordinator
Margarete Deiseroth-Gores	....	legal affairs
Natasha del Toro	....	assistant: Wolfram Tichy (as Natasha Del Toro)
Ralph DePalma	....	legal affairs (as Ralph Depalma)
Kara Doherty	....	production assistant: first team
Daniel Feighery	....	set production assistant
Rich Fellegara	....	set medic (as Richard Fellegara)
Paul D. Fischer	....	production associate (as Paul Fischer)
Stephanie Friedman	....	assistant: Open City
Ruth Fürstenberger	....	unit publicist: Jeremy Walker & Associates
Arbie Geter	....	parking assistant
Dave Ginsberg	....	location assistant (as David Ginsberg)
Olaf Gross	....	production intern: Germany
Heike Günther	....	production accountant: Germany
Margret Günzel	....	marketing
Krista Haimovitch	....	location assistant
Krista Haimovitch	....	location coordinator
Raymond Hall	....	parking assistant
Greg Harkins	....	location assistant (as Gregory Harkins)
Michael Hartel	....	location scout (as Mike Hartel)
Charles Herzfeld	....	sales director: Technicolor East
Stan Kelly	....	set production assistant
Breon King	....	parking assistant
Sylvia Koschorreck	....	production assistant: Germany
Andrea Kreuzhage	....	marketing
Albert Lanbert	....	parking assistant (as Albert Lambert)
Nicholas Owen Langholff	....	set production assistant (as Nicholas Langholff)
Kurt Lennig	....	additional generator operator
Michael Leung-Tat	....	location scout
Darin Maginnes	....	production office assistant
Hillary Meyer	....	first assistant accountant
Kristal D. Moseley	....	key set production assistant (as Kristal Mosley)
Thomas Nickel	....	sales director: ARRI Lab
Maria Cira Paseka	....	craft service
Robert Ralph	....	parking assistant
Sepp Reidinger	....	technical director: ARRI Lab
Brian Reingold	....	location scout
Saskia Rifkin	....	production consultant
Andre Rivera	....	production office assistant
Sylvie Rosenthal	....	development coordinator
Andreas Schardt	....	legal affairs
Raygun Sharpadero	....	accounting clerk (as Regan Sharp)
Jared A. Smith	....	location scout (as Jared Smith)
Susan Strine	....	production accountant
Morgan Supple	....	equipment coordinator
Hail Swam	....	security officer
Joseph Taylor	....	location scout
Michael Taylor	....	script supervisor
Tate Thompson	....	second assistant location manager
Björn Thönicke	....	assistant: Peter Sehr
Alexander Toles	....	set medic
Dennis Turnbull	....	parking assistant
Hilary Walker	....	location manager
Eva Weber	....	project coordinator: ARRI Lab
W. Wilder Knight II	....	legal affairs (as Wilder Knight)
Suzanne Wissemann	....	set production assistant
Eric Wrolstad	....	location scout
Michael L. Schmidt	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Karen Arikian	....	thanks: for support
Mark Bachman	....	thanks: for support
Rene Bastian	....	thanks: for support
Michael Chilson	....	thanks: for support
Deborah Drisdell	....	thanks: for support
Diane Dube	....	thanks: for support
Pia Elgas	....	thanks: for support
Barry Gifford	....	special thanks
Christine Goldhahn	....	thanks: support, BKM
Callum Greene	....	thanks: for support (as Callum Green)
Michael Scalisi	....	thanks: for support
Klaus Schaefer	....	thanks: support, FFF

Production Companies

• Vif Babelsberger Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. Dritte KG
• P'Artisan Filmproduktion GmbH
• TiMe Film- und TV-Produktions GmbH (in association with) (as Time Film und TV Produktion)
• Open City Films (in association with)
• Daybreak Pictures Ltd. (uncredited)

Distributors

• Filmwelt (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kino International (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• ottfilm GmbH (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• ARRI Digital (opticals) (as ARRI Digital Film)
• Blow Up Film (opticals)

Other Companies

• ARRI Digital  titles (as ARRI Digital Films)
• ARRI Film & TV Services  mixing studio
• ARRI Film + TV  post-production facility: Munich
• BKM, kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes  financial support
• CSC  camera equipment
• Cecil B. DeMeals  craft service
• Coast to Coast Catering  catering (as Coast To Coast)
• Completion Guarantors (TGC)  completion bond
• Cyclops Pictures & Sound  adr studio: New York
• Dada Supreme  the producers wish to thank
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  financial support (as FFF, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern)
• Filmleaders  adr studio: Los Angeles
• Great Northern Brokerage Services  insurance services (as Great Northern/Claims Specialists)
• Guess  the producers wish to thank
• Hit Factory, The  score recorded at
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  unit publicist (as Jeremy Walker & Associates)
• Joan Pearce Research Associates  legal clearances (as Joan Pearce Associates)
• Joe Boxer  the producers wish to thank
• John Finn and Associates  post-production accounting
• Leather Rose  the producers wish to thank
• New York Film Commission, The  the producers wish to thank (as NY Film Commission)
• Post Perfect  transfer house: New York (as Post Perfect)
• Rumblefish  the producers wish to thank
• Sound One  music editing
• Spin Cycle Post  music editing (as Spin Cycle)
• Studio Babelsberg  adr studio: Germany
• Triple Five Soul  the producers wish to thank
• Tuleh  the producers wish to thank
• Urban Outfitters  the producers wish to thank
• Xoxo  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, language and violence

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

French | Spanish | German | English | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Germany:16 | Singapore:R(A) | USA:R | Spain:18 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Vif Babelsberger Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. Dritte KG

Quotes:

Debbie:I'm talking about Jack, he's the one that's going to hell.
Claire:Well maybe I want him to take me with him.

Movie Connections:

References George Washington (2000)

Soundtrack:

Moon Crush

In real life...

"Love the Hard Way" is nothing more than what the title explains. Of course, there's a whole story and a lot of events, situations, well written characters, very good performances...Peter Sehr has created his own world, and set it in real life. The movies I like the most are the ones that show real people. I always say that reality causes emotion. We don't want to see anything fake. Well, many people cry in movies because the plot is manipulated for them to do so, and they just cry. In movies that come close to reality, we cry because we know the things can happen or because we identify with them. It's not something we don't know.

Adrien Brody plays Jack, a thief. He wakes up every day, probably with a girl beside him in the bed, and wears the same jacket, just to go out for a walk, for a movie, or for a heist He has two friends (Charlie and Jeff), or colleagues, and knows two women (Sue and Debbie). The five of them created a plan, and periodically carry on with it, and succeed. These types of persons really exist. They are lost in their lives and are always looking for a way to find themselves again. Is amazing that Jack kind of hides a passion he has for writing. He "hides" inside a room he has, and starts to write about the things he deals with everyday.

When Jack meets Claire (Charlotte Ayanna) he doesn't know how to act. She's very intelligent, looks at him, and says: "You're trying to get some attention". He instantly leaves but they meet again in the University, where Jack and Charlie do some work. Claire has a boyfriend, Fitzgerald (Joey Kern), and a girlfriend, Pamela. The two girls are going to meet the boyfriend at a scientific presentation. This great scene, shows Jack and Charlie following them, and ruining things every time they try to impress the girls. They are a little ignorant (in another scene, when a detective asks Charlie what his work is, he says: "African American literature, until 1950"; he knows that doesn't exist, probably), however charming enough to arrange a meeting (I'm talking about Jack and Claire here) at a station. Jack goes there, he invited Claire, and doesn't know if she's going to come. I forgot to say, he has never met anyone like her. He's used to all these "one night stands", and never thought he would be meeting her, because she went to the meeting.

That same day they both have dinner and talk for a while. She's trapped by him, because she has never met anyone like him. She tries not to stare at him. He tells her, as they're going to his apartment: "You're in love with me". She answers: "No I'm not; I have a boyfriend". "You're not now", he replies. "But you will be". They both have sex that night, in a beautifully shot scene, with anticipations that seem to be coming from someone's mind. What happens next is part of their daily lives. It can be good, it can be bad; and that is the best about it. "I have a lot of personal experience". He explains that everything is like a box, and is always the same, so I know what I'll probably find in it". "And what about this box?", Claire says, referring to herself. "Do you already know what's inside or you want to open it and take a look?"

This movie is wonderfully directed, edited, and of course, written. You get involved in it, you want to see life. The score is amazing, and the team made an excellent work in finding every different song, with its style and lyric, just to explain each scene of the movie. Every frame is connected in every possible way.

We shouldn't forget the actors. They all do a good job. Some are important, some are just there; but they have to be.

I don't consider Adrien Brody a great actor. I think he knows how to choose a role, and that he chooses it because he wants to play it. That's good enough. Now I'm going to praise his performance in this film, and don't hate me for the things I'm about to say. He voices Jack with a humanity that makes him unique. He looks at people with a simplicity that makes Jack a real being. He walks with steps that define a performance. He won an Oscar, for "The Pianist", a movie I didn't find a masterpiece (as many say). Maybe it's because of the Holocaust, which has been used over and over for movies. Roman Polanski is a fine director, and in my opinion, he directed a fine movie. Going back to Brody, hate me now, but he probably deserved that award, although his performance in "The Pianist" isn't as good as his Jack in "Love the Hard Way". I just found all the elements, and the ones that make him shine; in this performance.

His manners and movements are part of the body language that wraps this wonderful portrayal. His character made me think about Mark Ruffalo's (an excellent actor) Coles, in the also real and compelling "XX/XY". The kind of character that doesn't know his feelings, because he doesn't feel anything at all. "I can't love anyone", Jack says to Claire, looking directly into her eyes.