Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart (2009)
Directed by Scott Cooper
Length: 112 minutes
Rated R for language and brief sexuality




Anyone who knows me will tell you country music is my least favorite genre; I usually use the hyperbole that I will begin hemorrhaging from my ears if I hear those twangy guitars. Thankfully, the country music often focused on in movies is the much more bearable traditional kind, a la Johnny Cash in Walk the Line or this 2009 indie release. My distaste for country music aside, Crazy Heart is a solid film filled with great performances worthy of their critical acclaim.

Bad Blake is the alcoholic, broken, and aging country musician at the focus of the film. Played to perfection by 2009's Oscar winning Jeff Bridges (TRON: Legacy, The Men Who Stare at Goats), Bad Blake is a likable guy who just seems to always self-destruct as evidenced by his four failed marriages, estranged son, and floundering career. Upon meeting and falling for Jane Craddock, Oscar nominated Maggie Gyllenhaal (Nanny McPhee Returns, Away We Go) as a small town reporter and mother, Bad Blake attempts to change from his namesake, only to once again fail those he loves.

Jeff Bridges is great in his performance: you will truly understand just how low Bad Blake has fallen. Reduced to playing in bowling alleys for little to no money, you begin to understand and sympathize with Blake's boozy habits. On that same note, when Blake reveals to Jane that he is inspired to write his great songs by his experiences in life, you begin to wonder if his self-destructive ways are in fact simply a means to achieve his artistic endeavors. Though Bad Blake certainly does enough to live up to his name, Bridges does a great job of keeping the audience sympathetic to the tragic hero. Additionally, Bridges does a great job actually singing (as opposed to lip syncing like his counter part Colin Farrell). Equally impressive is Maggie Gyllenhaal as the single mother struggling to find a decent man to take care of her and her son. Gyllenhaal does a great job conveying just how much she cares for Blake, even at her breaking point when he fails to be the man she deserves and needs.

While Bridges and Gyllenhaal are deservingly recognized for their performances, I found Colin Farrell (Ondine, London Boulevard) as Tommy Sweet, Blake's successful protegee, to be a humorous turn. While Farrell is not particularly bad in his role, every time he came on screen I kept picturing Billy Ray Cyrus. If they ever decide to make a biopic about the country "legend" and father of the year, Colin Farrell better be chosen for the role. And if Farrell ever decides to lip-sync in a movie again, let's hope he practices singing with the words next time.

Make no mistake, Crazy Heart is hardly an instant classic, instead depending on two powerful performances to carry an otherwise solid flick. The music, while not my usual cup of tea, definitely proves to be catchy and enjoyable; in a year with little competition, I can see why the film captured the Oscar for Best Original Song. Though Crazy Heart likely won't crack your top films of all-time list, it is an enjoyable film blessed with a great performance from one of Hollywood's finest actors. Definitely make sure you check out if only to marvel at both Bridges and Gyllenhaal's performances.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:
Bad Blake: "I wanna talk about how bad you make this room look. I never knew what dump it was until you came in here."

Oscar Winners:
Best Actor in a Leading Role - Jeff Bridges
Best Original Song - "The Weary Kind" by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett



Oscar Nominations:
Best Supporting Actress - Maggie Gyllenhaal