Crazy Heart
This 2009 release, which won for its star Jeff Bridges a long overdue Oscar for Best Actor, may not be the slam bang type of piece that matinee audiences flock to, but it is something that allows a veteran like Bridges to have the breathing room needed to craft a subtle, brilliantly nuanced performance. Bridges plays Bad Blake, a broken down has-been country music star reduced to playing in bowling alleys and various other dives to make ends meet, all the while embittered by the raging success enjoyed by an old protégé of his (Colin Farrell, in a character clearly inspired by Keith Urban) before he meets up with an average everyday reporter played by Maggie Gyllenhaal and embarks on what is to be a failed romance with her and her son whilst getting the break he needed to get himself sober and financially independent. The interesting thing about writer / director Scott Cooper is how he manages to avoid the clichéd pitfalls that plague these types of films, never manipulating the viewer to like Blake (Bridges does fine doing that by himself) or to feel false emotions at inopportune times, nor does he go for the type of downbeat ending that one usually anticipates in this genre. It’s true that the film’s highlight is the first 15 minutes when we first get to know the Blake character, and never quite lives up to that promise after that, but it’s amazing in the way Bridges effortlessly seems able to consistently make the viewer SMILE (if not laugh out loud) at Blake’s personality, whether it be shoving four cigarettes in his mouth but having three fall out before he can light them, or hilariously cussing out his sleazy agent over the phone for getting him into another fine mess. For her part Gyllenhaal does well also, maybe not the most beautiful actress but certainly one who can act, as she shares an offbeat chemistry with Bridges and is only offset late in the film when the character becomes a little too self-righteous for her own good; Farrell also avoids the clichés of playing a cocky pretty boy country music star, as we realize that he genuinely cares for his mentor and wants to help him get back on his feet; and Robert Duvall slides in also as Blake’s longtime friend who gives him some sage words of advice. It should also be noted that Bridges and Farrell both do their own singing throughout the film, and both do a good job of convincing us that it could be a viable second career choice for either if the opportunity arises. Overall, a good drama worth watching just to see a living legend get his due…
8/10