7tavern: Crazy Heart

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Crazy Heart

Pitched as a country music version of The Wrestler, Crazy Heart almost lives up to the generous comparison. It's only the story itself that fails to deliver, stubbornly sticking to the well-worn paths of Hollywood formula - but when the rest of a movie is this strong, that's a hurdle that can easily be overcome.

It's impossible to talk about Crazy Heart without highlighting Jeff Bridges in the lead role, and it's a performance that's more than worthy of all the praise that's been slung in his direction. Anyone who's seen The Big Lebowski will know just how fine an actor Bridges is, but in case we'd forgotten he treats us to what might turn out to be a career best performance.

Bridges plays Bad Blake, a washed-up country singer based on elements of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson (there's certainly something of Kristofferson in that grizzled beard). Blake is considered a legend by his peers, but his career has slowly slid downhill as he drowns his sorrows in bottle after bottle of bourbon.

When he staggers off-stage to throw up during a show in a bowling alley, you know the man's hit rock bottom.

It's here that young journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) enters the frame. Jean simply wants to interview the reclusive Blake to kick-start her own career, but the aging singer can't help falling for her youthful good looks and easy charm. That's nothing new, since Blake seems to fall for every woman he comes across - but what's more surprising is that Jean falls for him too.

What follows is a troubled love affair between the odd couple, and it inevitably clashes with the other great romance of Blake's life - his love affair with the bottle. The time comes when Blake has to choose between being a man and being a drunken failure, and it's by no means clear which path he'll follow.

Bridges' performance as Bad Blake perpetuates Hollywood's fascination with charming drunks, but this is one role that matches up to the likes of Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas and Oliver Reed in, well, everything. He's simultaneously pitiable and pitiful, an intelligent, charming man who just happens to be a slave to alcoholism. The fact that we care about him at all, as he abuses and fails those around him, is a testament to Bridges' talent.

Maggie Gyllenhaal props him up with the perfect blend of strong will and soft heart, while Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell lend their support as Blake's best friend and his protege/rival. For a while it's all too easy to believe that we're taking a peek behind the curtain of the hard-drinking country scene, and there's barely a false note to be heard.

The music is also up to the task, and T-Bone Burnett's Oscar-winning score somehow manages to provide some of the most memorable original country music of the last ten years. 'The Weary Kind' may have won him the statue, but there are enough hits here to fill almost two hours of screen time, and it's by no means the only strong track among them.

In fact the only weak point in Crazy Heart is that narrative, which limps slowly along from cliche to cliche, ticking off every textbook formula along the way. This is a story that we've seen many times before, and you'll know exactly where it's heading long before it gets there.

Thankfully it's hard to care too much about the script's inadequacies, however, when the rest of Crazy Heart is so consistently engaging and surprising. Even without a script, Bad Blake would deservedly go down as one of cinema's greatest creations, and every moment spent in his company is a whiskey-soaked gem. He might single-handedly revive the denim industry, too.

4/5

2010-06-14 10:50:37

canneltoncritic
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2.5

Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart - Adapted and directed by Scott Cooper, starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Colin Farrell - Rated R

The Evil Kurgan likes hard livin' characters.

Okay, so it's Oscar time, which means the limited releases are starting to expand into the smaller Midwest markets. This means I had three options over the weekend: Crazy Heart, A Single Man, and An Education. Nothing against the latter two options, but I didn't think twice about which nominated performance I wanted to see. I'll take Jeff Bridges as a hard drinking washed up country music star any day of the week over a coming of age British girl (Carey Mulligan) or a British professor (Colin Firth) contemplating suicide after the death of his lover. I still want to see both of those films, but I wanted to see a good American performance and that's exactly what I got.

Bridges plays Bad Blake, a country singer who is way past his prime. Bad makes his way around the southwest playing anywhere he can. The movie starts with him arriving at his latest gig. We're introduced to Bad Blake as he gets out of his vehicle, belt unbuckled (which it is through most of the film), and empties out a jug of his own urine. He's been driving for hours to reach his venue: a bowling alley. The venue is funny for two reasons. 1. It's a bowling alley, not exactly a prime spot to play live music. 2. It's great to see Bridges back in the bowling alley. I couldn't help but think of The Dude from The Big Lebowski during an early scene at the bowling alley's bar. Bad heads to the bar because not only is his career at rock bottom, but he also has a bit of a drinking problem. I know this sounds like the setup of a depressing, miserable movie and it might even sound like the country music version of The Wrestler, but it really is its own movie and it's a bit more light hearted than The Wrestler. Maybe alcoholic has-been doesn't sound like a light hearted character, but Crazy Heart does have a decent amount of comedy. It goes to show that you can show alcoholism without it being complete melodramatic misery (even though the film does venture into that territory near the end, it quickly rights itself).

This movie is being compared to The Wrestler for one more reason: it features a powerhouse performance. Bridges is favored to win the Academy Award for this film and I hope he does win it because he carries this movie. First off, he looks the part. Bridges embodies unhealthiness; he's overweight, constantly needs a shave and a haircut, and seems to struggle for breath (due to his constant smoking). Second, he finds a way to be charismatic despite his disgusting appearance. It's even believable that a younger woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal, also nominated, but has no chance of winning) would find him attractive and even start a relationship with him. Finally, the man can play the guitar and sing...and he's good.
Which brings me the music of the film. For the most part I am not a fan of country music...well, popular country, that is. I do enjoy the older stuff and that's the sound T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham went for in Crazy Heart. So I loved the music of the film even though I am not a huge country fan, but I don't think you'll like this movie as much if you truly hate all things country. There are quite a few music scenes and if you don't like the music, it's going to be hard to like the movie. If you like country music at all, though, you'll probably be like me and you'll get home and buy a few songs from the soundtrack (I suggest "Fallin' & Flyin'").

The music scenes are where director Scott Cooper gets to insert a little style. He's fond of showing the music from the musician's perspective by zooming in and moving the camera to the side. He uses the same angle multiple times but I thought it was a great way to film each song.

Aside from that, Crazy Heart isn't really a visually appealing movie and it doesn't need to be anyway. It's all about performance. This is Bridges' show, but he does get a bit of help from some talented supporting players. Colin Farrell is surprisingly good as Bad Blake's protege turned superstar (he even does his own singing on a couple of songs...and he can actually sing). Robert Duvall does well in a small role as Blake's hometown friend. And Maggie Gyllenhaal does a decent job sharing the screen with Bridges. But I think she only got her nomination because there are so few good roles for women these days and it was all they could think of.

Did I skip the plot summary on this one? I guess I did, but I'm not fond of giving too much away when I write these reviews and honestly, if you want to see this movie it's because of Bridges' performance, the Bad Blake character, and the great music. So check this one out if you get the chance and be sure to root for Bridges for Best Actor and "Crazy Heart" for Best Song.

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Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

Last updated: 2010-05-08 10:09:30 by user06

2010-05-08 10:08:55

Nate13
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Review: Crazy Heart

It's been a while since I wrote a movie review. 2010 has not started on a good note...if I am to beat last year's 84 films record. The beginning of the year is always slow anyhow, so we shall see.
I really don't have much to say about CRAZY HEART, so this review may not be helpful in terms of wanting to know more about the movie than what the official synopsis tells you.

The plot is the most standard biopic (though this is fictional and not base on a real life person) stuff around: we meet an old age singer past his golden years, goes about life with a bottle and cigarettes always by his side, meets girl, there's an even that turns him around, gets clean up, recaptures some of that golden years luster, happily ever after. There's actually not that much dramatic stuff; everything about this movie is just small stuff, it is all about the acting. I had forgotten that Colin Farrell plays a country music star here, and he ain't half bad. He and Jeff Bridges did all their singing (very good). Recently oscar nominees Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Bridges do all the heavy lifting, though it is Jeff's movie. Nothing exceptional really, but they do have some good scenes where through some expressions, or the way they make their characters react-sometimes in ways you weren't expecting, that let you see why they were cited by the academy. Not unforgettable, but not bad either. Grade: B

2010-04-28 11:09:55

FRCRuben
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2.5

Crazy Heart

How often can it be said? Jeff Bridges is the most unde rated actor alive today. A man who has been working in earnest since 1958, born into a show business family and owner of such beloved characters as the Dude. It seems like every decent movie of the last twenty years features Bridges somewhere or another, he is the baby-boomers' Robert Mitchum.

So, what about Bridges' most serious effort to date, Crazy Heart. Unlike many of the other works that Bridges has appeared in since 1990, Crazy Heart is a little more adult, a little more sophisticated, and yet the story is not unfamiliar or overly complicated.

Bad Blake is a country and western singer -- more along the bluesy hard drinking side of the genre as opposed to the white-washed Jesus-cleaned side. He drives himself around the southwest in a pick up truck playing bowling alley's and dive bars. His agent is also agent to Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a singer that is infinitely more successful than Blake but who owes his career and the bulk of his song catalog to the old man. Blake is an alcoholic, an estranged father, an ex-husband four times over, and has just fallen in love with Jeanne Craddock (Maggie Gylenhall) and her four year-old son Buddy (the fabulously cute Jack Nation).

And then, there's whiskey -- the other major character of the film. Blake drinks whiskey like fish swim in shark-infested waters. He doesn't consider its effects on his health or his relationships. Well, maybe he does, we sense that he feels too old to do anything about it. And while the film doesn't seem to make a big deal about his alcoholism, in the same way that no one deals with a family member's alcoholism when it doesn't seem to be effecting anyone else, a car accident brings Blake into a hospital perhaps for the first time in decades and a doctor actually sits down and tells Blake about the sad physical shape that he's in.

The story of Bad Blake is a story of redemption: spiritual, emotional, physical. A man who has, for so many years, tried to stay somehow relevant by stubbornly refusing to change realizes that all he needs to do is think clearly and see the world and his relationships for how they are and how they relate to him. When we're stuck in a rut, our first instinct is to keep the truck in gear and lurch out of the rut. But sometimes, one needs to get out of the rut by changing one's actions.

Gyllenhaall does her best as an unconventional love interest, so the February-November relationship between her character and Bad Blake is not as off-putting as it might be with a different actress that was born after Jeff Bridges in King Kong was released. Robert Duvall shows up as Blake's best friend and bartender. And someone taught Colin Farrell how to do a Texas accent. The cast is fabulous and what the narrative lacks in direction or even, dare I say, interest it more than makes up for it with its ensemble and Jeff Bridges wonderful guitar work and singing.

On a side note, this was my wife's and my date night for the month. I was very satisfied with the trip to Berkeley to see this and to eat at a fabulous little Japanese restaurant called Norikonoko. I had ramen & pork with gyoza, S.Y. had blackened cod with miso soup and a bevy of little sides. We saw the film at Landmark's California Theater on Kittredge and I was fully impressed. I think that it used to be one of those places with a balcony that showed only one movie, and perhaps worked in a midnight Rocky Horror every other Saturday, but has since installed two more theaters in its balcony. It was totally old-fashioned and wonderful, with the little aluminum chairs and a disinterested concession guy that doesn't try to upsell the popcorn (No, i don't want the fucking large -- oh its only a buck more and it has free refills? Oh all right).

The theater manager (or maybe owner, is Landmark franchised?) came out before the movie to give us a little wassup and tell us about future releases. I <3 Landmark Theaters, they remind me of college. In fact, the only thing that annoys me a little about Landmark Theaters (and I have to say that I was guilty of this in my greener years) is that throughout the movie whenever a piece of dialogue sounds the least bit philosophical or ironic, one can hear stifled little pretentious giggles or hmph's throughout the audience.

But, what can you do? Its independent film.

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Ruben of the Floating Red Couch 
http://www.floatingredcouch.com

Last updated: 2010-04-15 20:24:30 by user01

2010-04-15 20:18:18

JulianStark
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2.5

FILM REVIEW : Crazy Heart (2009)

Going in to Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart, I was expecting a sub-par storyline with a really strong performance from Jeff Bridges. I had no honest expectations for shocker Supporting Actress nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal. Although it has CMT Movie of the Week written all over it, Crazy Heart is an excellent film. From Bridges to Gyllenhaal, from the music to the honest account of redemption, it was really fantastic. However, I did have some issues with the film.

Crazy Heart follows Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), a once prominent country music artist who has hit rock bottom. As opposed to relationships, he looks for resolution in all the wrong places - alcohol, smoking, foreign films of a certain nature. He is offered an interview from a young music writer named Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal). In what is likely a reluctant decision, Blake accepts the interview. Upon this one single interview his entire life changes. Crazy Heart examines Bad Blake's new outlook on life and shows that life is truly no place for the weary kind.

In a bout of irony, the best aspect of Crazy Heart is the one that I was initially the most skeptical about, and that was the chemistry between Bridges and Gyllenhaal. It is certainly a unique relationship. For starters, there is the significant age difference. Whether or not you agree with age differences in romantic relationships is irrelevant; it is a difficulty with these two, especially considering that these two are wrong for each other in every way, shape, and form. Bad Blake is a commitment-free vagabond; Jean is a single mother who is longing for something stable in her life.

Saying that Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Bad Blake carries the film is something of an understatement. He is easily the perfect choice to play this character, one with a tortured soul trying to find his way back to a real life. For someone as seemingly shallow as Bad Blake, there is a certain vulnerability needed for this character. Even with said vulnerability, the role cannot be played in an overall sensitive matter. The actor still needs to have some element of nonchalantness and apathy. Bad Blake is certainly a complex character with all of these emotions, and Bridges has a particular manner that fits all of these requirements perfectly. Oh, and here's a side note: his vocals performances aren't too shabby either.

Bridges carries the film. That is certain, but I cannot give my honest opinion of Crazy Heart without commending Maggie Gyllenhaal on her fantastic work as Jean Craddock. Although I wrote her role off as a plot device the minute I knew she was playing the love interest, Gyllenhaal certainly has some emotional weight to carry. I earlier stated that she has great chemistry with Mister Bridges. Developing any sort of connection with Bridges' Bad Blake is something of an accomplishment; developing a romantic connection with him is an even more daunting task. In regards to acting, making the audience believe that a stability-seeking woman would fall for a vagabond like Bad Blake may have been the most difficult task of the film. Congratulations, Miss Gyllenhaal. You nailed it! Oh, and for what it's worth, the Academy definitely didn't make a fluke decision by throwing her in the mix for Supporting. If you're looking for fault, take notice of the precursor groups that didn't nominate her.

Even though neither actor affects the overall quality of the film, both Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell give solid performances. The former is a bit of an odd choice since it was such a small and oddly insignificant role, but I still think that he does a good job. Kudos to Farrell for transitioning from an Irish pub accent to a Southern one; unlike Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia!, he gets bonus points for singing his own material. He's actually quite good! Could we see the Golden Globe winner lead a musical someday? Hmm... and if you're asking why the former James Bond isn't getting my personal acclaim for performing his own songs in Mamma Mia!, you clearly haven't seen the film!

Now that we're done with the good, let's talk about the bad. Although I've given strong praise to Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, I have to criticize the foundation of the relationship itself. Jean is not right for Bad Blake, and she knows it! This leads me to ask the following question: why does she decide to take that chance with him? I would have no clue how to answer that question before walking into the auditorium. Even several days after seeing the film, I am still puzzled by this notion. In addition, the two had not even three encounters with each other before realizing that they had feelings for each other. Aside from the weakly written relationship, I really have no problems with Crazy Heart.

Scott Cooper's directorial debut is nothing short of fantastic. The fantastic cast and enjoyable tunes spread throughout help to make Crazy Heart one of the surprisingly better films of 2009. However, the film does stumble with the main story arc. It isn't the best kind of Crazy out there, but it's the Heart that makes the journey a worthwhile one.

Recommended

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

Academy Award nominations:
Best Actor in a Leading Role - Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)
Best Original Song - "The Weary Kind" (Crazy Heart; performed by Ryan Bingham)

Julian Stark (pen name) 
 
Founder/Editor: Movies and Other Things 
 
http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-04-09 23:45:19 by user07

2010-04-09 23:44:54

tonybkim
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I was crazy for Crazy Heart

You learn everything you need to know about the country singer Bad Blake within the first 5 minutes of this movie. The rest of the story is spent watching him painfully unravel right in front of your eyes. Crazy Heart is simple film about a one time semi-famous country singer that has now faded into obscurity after too many marriages, too much alcohol, and too much time on the road. Now relegated to sharing his brilliant music at remote bowling alleys across the mid-west, Bad Blake is only a shadow of the once potentially great country singer from decades earlier. It’s after he meets a special gal (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her 4 year old son that he eventually finds some redemption and peace by the end of the story.

There really isn’t too much to dissect here. There is little story and little conflict which is part of the charm of this little film. Crazy Heart is about a man, his guitar, and the songs that he creates. It’s a slow plodding story as Blake sojourns back and forth between small towns in Arizona and Texas. This movie conjured up feelings of sitting on an old rickety porch, drinking sweet tea, and gnawing on some jerky. You may not have accomplished a lot but it sure felt good.

Almost the entire film rests on the acting chops of Jeff Bridges- and he does not disappoint. He convincingly brings to life the fictional character of Bad Blake and makes you wonder if he really did existed. His depiction of this lonely soul is kin to the likes of a Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelson. The best part is Bridges performs his own songs with the mastery and flare of both Jennings and Nelson. Without Bridges, this film would not have been nearly as successful nor enjoyable.

Growing up in Texas and a fan of country music, I identified with this movie. Not sure how the wider audience will respond but I found it honest, vulnerable, and redeeming. Bridges earns his Oscar nomination with this one. However, because its such a character piece, I wouldn’t be too eager to watch it again anytime soon. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of county, Jeff Bridges, a musician, song writer, or loves whiskey.

Check out more of my reviews at www.BabbleOn5.com

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Last updated: 2010-03-31 14:29:36 by tonybkim

2010-03-31 14:28:34

Al_K_Hall
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2.5

Booze Revooze: A Drinker's Skewed View of CRAZY HEART

Ramblings: Crazy Hurt

Final Proof: 4 Shots

You know how you get drunk with country singers? They’re hard drinkers and chain smokers with voices as rough as whiskey and talk as smooth as beer chasers. They serenade you with tales of daring don’ts and laugh a broken beer mug laugh while they spill their loneliest stories and their voices crack like an old shot glass as they pour their lives out to you. You get drunk on their blues and their booze and the twang in their dissonant existences. You can’t help but feel for these renegades with lives as battered as their old guitars and emotions as raw as the rotgut they take to drown their feelings. Crazy Heart is like that.

There’s Good Country and Bad Country. “Bad Country” is pop crossover country like living in a Bel-Air trailer park or driving and Audi pickup. “Good Country” is booze laced, blues based heart ache with a drawl. Crazy Heart is Good Country.

You know me (and if you don’t, you will soon enough when i show up on your doorstep askin’ for a place to crash and 20 bucks to borrow) i’m not a huge fan of country music. The thing about this movie is that is takes the essence of a great country song and distills it into something potent. The proof is that Crazy Heart transcends country music into something universal. Oh yeah, it’s also got tons of alcohol in it. That’s what i’m talkin’ ’bout.

Y’all know how i’m a crap reviewer. i have no idea how to use all that technical jargon and my idea of a good actor is anyone who speaks with an accent because i’m totally incapable of judging accents. (Case in point, Miss Demeanor had to tell me that Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ accent sucked in From Paris With Love.) So i’m not qualified to say if Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal do a good job because i thought they had great accents. i thought Colin Farrell had a great accent for an Irish guy playing a crossover country accent. What i can tell you for sure, though, is that Bridges did a kick ass job playing a drunk guy, and here i know of what i slur. He didn’t overdo it but played it with the right amount of subtlety.

On the down side, it was a little slow but it was supposed to be. That was kinda the feel of the thing. Slow and easy like a country b-side. The thing i liked most about this movie was that (unlike most movies i’ve seen recently and will be booze revoozing soon, like An Education or Nine) he had to suffer consequences after making bad choices. Life is like that, peeps. Sometimes you luck out but once your luck runs out you gotta face the music. Bad Blake did and wrote some killer songs to that tune.

Buzz Kills (Watch Out for Spoilers)

Sex: 2½ Shots

Crazy Heart is all about the Maggie. There are lots of hot shots of Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock) in jeans, an unflattering scene of a Maggie uni-boob when she wears a tube top, a sweeter scene with her in bed in a bra and tons of her in light tops with a flimsy undergarments. There was also some titty blocking (when the director hides a woman’s assets through various mis-directing techniques) mostly with a sheet. Anyway, Maggie carried the sex for this movie all alone, but that’s OK ’cause she has the right frame for it.

Here’s the Maggie Gyllenhaal (32) i’m talking about:

Maggie Gyllenhall At The Bar None

Click On The Image For Wallpaper Size

There was also a Silken Butterfly (one of those beautiful starlettes whose flitting appearance across the silver screen is as remarkable as it is brief) right at the beginning. Anna Felix (“Barmaid”) was the lovely lady behind the bowling alley bar. Anna? If you’re out there, i’d love to interview you for the Bar None!

For those of you who prefer rock hard to soft countries, here’s Jeff Bridges, looking great for 60:

This is Colin ‘Tommy Sweet’ Farrell (33):

Colin Farrell At The Bar None

Colin Farrell Later At The Bar None

Drink: 5 Shots

Yep, the first time i’ve ever given 5 Shots to anything. There were so many drink references i had to use two sheets of paper but, more importantly, drinking (specifically Bad’s alcoholism) played a key role in the movie. In fact, i pro’lly only woulda given this movie 3½ shots if it hadn’t been for all the booze.

The movie opens with Bad Blake arriving at the bowling alley where he’ll play a concert. He approaches our lovely barmaid (Anna Felix) and asks for a “McClure’s and a beer back.” ‘McClure’s’ is a fictional brand of whiskey, created for this movie. Don’t got to your local bar looking for it unless you want to look like an idiot.

Here are the rest of the drink references…

Drinks not included on tab because he drinks too much
Gets a free bottle of McClure’s from a gas station owner
Flask during a break [in show]
Drinks to point of getting sick and goes back on stage
[Tommy Sweet] gave up Southern Comfort
Jeff Bridges is a good drunk actor
Doctor calls him out on his alcoholism
Maggie drinks with him when she’s sad (whiskey)
She doesn’t want him to drink in front of 4-year-old so he downs it
Wine at dinner
He sent Maggie away to wait for him so he could have a double McClure’s at a mall bar
Wakes up puking and still drunk and crying and dying
Maggie doesn’t like his drinking and chides him for it; “I don’t want to hear it.”
Duvall gives him a whiskey shot but only one
He chain smokes
Drinks Pabst, he calls it “barley pop”
He gets totally sh*t faced after she leaves him for losing her kid (very drunk but very realistic)
Goes to AA after
He seems to get unhooked quickly but what would i know? i’ve never tried.

Barley Pop

Rock & Roll: 2 Shots

The music here wasn’t rock so i can’t very well give it a high rating, can i? Plus the attitude wasn’t all that rock either. More slow burn than full throttle… Still, some of the songs weren’t bad for country.

Boring Technical Crap

Written by:

Thomas Cobb (novel)

Scott Cooper (screenplay)

Directed by: Scott Cooper

Starring

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Jean Craddock

Anna Felix – Barmaid

Jeff Bridges – Bad Blake

Colin Farrell – Tommy Sweet

Bottom Line

Definitely see it.

Al K Hall 
Functional Alcoholic Slurperson 
(No, REALLY. Google &quot;Slurperson&quot; if you don't believe me.)

Last updated: 2010-03-31 12:54:26 by user08

2010-03-31 12:09:31

eternality_tan
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Crazy Heart (Scott Cooper, 2009)

THE SCOOP
Director: Scott Cooper
Plot: A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.

Genre: Drama/Music/Romance
Awards: Won 2 Oscars - best lead actor, original song. Nom. for 1 Oscar - sup. actress.
Runtime: 112min
Rating: NC16 for language and brief sexuality.

IN RETROSPECT
Much is raved about Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning performance in Crazy Heart. His first win in five nominations, Bridges’ win is seen as recognition for his consistently excellent acting throughout his long career in Hollywood. In Crazy Heart, his performance is engaging and quite impressive. But I would fall short of calling it a great performance. He plays Bad Blake, a country singer-guitarist who is past his prime and leads a life of hard-drinking, smoking, and lazing around. He performs occasionally in a worn out bowling alley but for most parts, he is a “loser in life”.

Co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Jean Craddock, a journalist who wants to do a story on Blake. She meets him for regular interviews in his cluttered home and slowly falls into a casual romantic relationship with him. She also has a small son who is adored by Blake, and who will be the cause of a major falling out between the couple. Gyllenhaal’s performance is decent but even though she is nominated for an Oscar here, it is not fairly representative of what she can do, and is seen by critics as giving Bridges’ nomination more “weight” i.e. higher chances of winning.

Crazy Heart is Scott Cooper’s debut feature. It is an above average picture with moments of beauty that alternate with moments of dullness. The music accompanying the film (captured live in stage performances or in pre-recorded tracks) is just about the best thing Cooper is able to offer apart from directing Bridges to an Oscar-winning performance. The song “The Weary Kind” encapsulates what is so rustically charming about country music and is exceptionally performed by Colin Farrell (whose presence in a film like this seems a trifle odd if I may add).

There is something lacking in Crazy Heart. I can attribute this lack to the film’s occasional inability to engage viewers. It is not the fault of the cast, but rather the direction Cooper has chosen to take. Pacing is weak and this causes the story to be told in a (too) relaxed pace. In addition, the conventionality of the film’s storytelling style gives a sense of predictability to its outcome. Crazy Heart is a film which relies almost entirely on the success of the Bridges-Gyllenhaal chemistry. Their performances lift this film from a mediocre picture to a half-decent inquiry into the theme of redemption.

SCORE: 7/10
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Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

Singapore's Most Prolific Film Blogger @ www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-03-17 03:58:49 by eternality_tan

2010-03-17 03:58:10

cakocinski
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Movie Review: Crazy Heart

Give “The Dude” a guitar, and a cowboy hat… and what do you get? Bad  Blake, 57 year old, alcoholic, broke down country singer… with an  attitude. But also a heart of gold. I just got back from seeing this movie, and I still can’t get it off  my mind… I got the soundtrack, and I’m writing to some good old country  tunes. (Yes, even a rock n’ roll guy like my self likes to visit traditional country music).
Jeff Daniels… all I can say is, “amazing” – This was one of those  movies I wish I had seen before the Oscars, but I wish I had… I wanted  to see Bad Blake in action.
In case you didn’t know, or didn’t hear about this small film… it’s  the story about, well Bad Blake… a man with all the attributes I listed  above. He’s penniless, and touring bowling alleys throughout the South  west, trying to revive his career. Think of it as, “The Wrestler” with a  guitar.
I must admit, I knew I would like this movie from the start… it has  everything that I like, traditional… Hank Williams-esque country music, T  Bone Burnett, and Jeff Bridges. Where can you go wrong?
But was it all good? No, not really… it was a great movie, one  that’ll stick with me for a few days. But there was a few issues I had  with it… first of all, I think it’s one major downfall was that it was  too close to “The Wrestler” – and I guess I never made that distinction  going in… but it became fairly evident about half way through the movie.
The other issue I had was some of the ambiguity… specifically  speaking about Robert Duvall’s character, was he Blake’s Dad? Friend?   Father figure? I was under the impression he was his father… but I  didn’t necessarily see that connection.
Another issue I had was Maggie Gyllenhaal, I know she was nominated  for this part… but I thought her performance was mediocre. It didn’t  impress me as much as I thought it would. Plus did you see those  chicken wing shoulder blades?
Also… surprisingly… I had no issue with Colin Ferrill as a Rhinestone  Cowboy.
All that aside, this film should have been on my list of top 10 of  2009, but I guess I just didn’t see it in time. I hope I look half as  good as Jeff Bridges does when I’m 57 years old. I just hope I’m not a  broke down alcoholic…
So the inevitable question, that I often times forget to ask… rent,  buy, or never again?
Definitely buy…

Christian Kocinski 
Filmmaker.Animator.Photographer 
www.ChristianKocinski.com 
www.IncoherentAstronomy.com 
www.SweetmintTheatre.com 
www.Cine-Rama.com

2010-03-16 10:19:50

spiral568
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2.5

Crazy Heart

More  then one critic has called this film The Wrestler with country music,  and well, yes it is. Pretty much. The same slow-baked character study,  the same crucial lead performance. This is a ways off that film, but it  certainly follows the formula. But any film that give Jeff Bridges a  platform to be this good is certainly not one I'm going to be too harsh  on.

Crazy Heart follows Bridges washed up country singer Bad  Blake, as he is an alcoholic and asshole. In that order. Playing at  venues devoid of dignity and showing a concept of professionalism that  is less then strict, Blake basically is canon-balling to an early grave.  Thank god journalist Maggie Gyllenhaal is around, with a loose concept  of reporter to subject objectivity (worst euphemism ever) and a son with  which Bridges can bond. To be honest the film goes exactly where you  expect it to, and this film's path to redemption is much simpler then  The Wrestler's. Where trying to be a good person isn't enough. Here it  is, and it ventures nowhere near as darker territory. Still, there's the  Bridges thing. This is the Dude here, and you know he's going to be  good. And he is, capturing the right balance of hate, soulfulness and  pathetic to do the character justice, all the while keeping it together  and not OTTing the shit out of the part. Which certainly could have been  the way a lesser actor would have taken the role.

Kudos too to  Gyllenhaal, who has managed to take your fairly standard  rent-a-girlfriend role and score an Oscar nomination for it. She is  continually an interesting presence on screen and while this is far from  the best she's ever been or will be, its good for her to get the clout  to her allow more interesting performances to ensue. Colin Farrell, who  can be known to take supporting roles and make them ridiculous, nicely  underplays it here, knowing where the spotlight should be (on Bridges) A  smart, controlled little character study Well acted and worth your  time, even if it is not blindingly original.

Rating: 7/10

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2010-03-11 19:33:02

BartonRoberts
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2.5

Movies 365: Day 19 – Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart, 2009 Directed by Scott Cooper

Sometimes a weak film can be elevated by a singular performance such is the case with Crazy Heart. The film follows Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) an alcoholic has been country musician relegated to playing bowling alleys and bars. Though he has a small but devoted following, most seem to be interested in Bad because of his mentor/protege relationship with Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a major country artist. While in Santa Fe, Bad agrees to do an interview with local reporter Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and soon finds himself falling in love with the young reporter. The two strike up a relationship, as she sees into him, and he in turn falls for her, and becomes something of a surrogate father to her young son.

Crazy Heart is at its’ core a redemption story similar to The Wrestler, however, unlike The Wrestler, the story of Crazy Heart never does much that’s unexpected. Fortunately, the one area the film compares with The Wrestler is the fact that the film focuses on a lead performance so good it makes you willing to forgive most, if not all of it’s shortcomings. Jeff Bridges is absolutely amazing as Bad Blake, quite possibly the best performance in a career full of great ones. The thing about Bridges is that he’s never been a flashy actor, always understated and natural, it’s not a performance where you can easily pick a clip out to show for his all but guaranteed Academy Award nomination. There’s no scene where he delivers an angry tirade or breaks down crying about his wasted life, but he breathes light into Bad Blake makes him a real person and makes the mediocre film around him better as a result.

The rest of the supporting cast is good, Maggie Gyllenhaal turns in a fairly standard performance, though not a bad one, and Robert Duvall shows up to play a friend of Bad later in the film, and performs as well as you’d expect Robert Duvall to perform. Perhaps the only misstep in casting is Colin Farrell as Bads’ protege Tommy Sweet, I’m sure casting Farrell was not an accident at all, as he seems a polar opposite of Bridges, which I’m sure was exactly the point, part of the problem is that you never get the feeling that Tommy Sweet was ever anything other than a guy who could play guitar and sing who’s been slickly packaged by record company executives. I’m sure the point is to place him into contrast with Bad Blake, but the problem with this is that you never see the guy who Bad would have had an interest in mentoring under all the slick packaging.

First time director Scott Cooper does a fine job directing, he certainly realizes that Bridges is not only the heart and soul of the film, but the best thing about it, and makes sure to capture the performance quite well. The film is at times slow and meandering, and I certainly can’t find anyone to blame other than Cooper for not keeping a tighter leash on the film. I guess if I have one problem with the film it’s that the story is not as interesting as the performances in it, I would have been content to spend a lot more time with Bad Blake, but by the time the film ended, I wasn’t yearning for more. Crazy Heart is worth seeing for Jeff Bridges alone, but unfortunately I can’t recommend rushing out to see it immediately.

2010-03-05 06:49:17

SuperMarcey
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Super Marcey's Crazy Heart Review

Rating: 3.5/5

A country musician whose star has since faded finds himself playing at the local bowling alley, hasn't written any new material for years and is an alcoholic. Things change for him when he meets a reporter, who is also a single mother, the two form a relationship. In the meantime a musician who he has mentored comes back into the picture. That is the short little synopsis for this film without giving too much away. Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake who is the country music star who is a shadow of his former self, Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Jean the reporter who he meets and Colin Farrell Tommy plays the man he mentored.

Crazy Heart is a good film, it does follow the formula of films of these types but it is the performances that elevates this up to being great. It is cliched, and I expected that it would be and the ending both worked and didn't for me but the rest, the ride we take with Blake made for good watching. This film really is all about Jeff Bridges and his fantastic performance, he is Bad Blake, he becomes this character fully. He really just lifted up this role and made for a character that you just can't help but watch and you hope this man can get back on track with his life. You feel for him, in all sorts of ways, there are times you want to slap him and there are times you just want to hug him. Jeff Bridges plays all the right notes with Bad, he is one of the acting greats and it is fantastic he has been nominated for an Oscar for his role. Maggie Gyellenhaal is a stand out, the character of Jean isn't anything special and in different hands I think it would have failed. But she really much like her co-star elevated the role and made it something. She brings this need to her character, this charm, it is all natural and the chemistry between them really works. You know what they start is ultimately doomed, but when you see that unfold you know the repercussions will actually help them. Maggie was also nominated for an Oscar and I have to say it is well deserved, she is a great actress and without her this role wouldn't have worked. Colin Farrell while his role was small he was really quite good, and he had this perfect back and forth chemistry with Bridges. Not to mention the man can sing, and sing well, I was impressed.

The music much like Bridges is the heart of the film, it is fantastic. The songs are fantastic and beautifully performed as well, Bridges and Farrell both do their own singing, so impressive as I mentioned with Farrell but damn Bridges is so good I had no idea. The performance scenes are extremely well done, from the bowling alley to the stadium, I really enjoyed them. There are moments which are truly sad (the scene where Bad has to leave the stage to be sick is one of them) and some are just gorgeous to watch. The cinematography for this was great, it captures the mood and setting of the film so well. The pacing is perfect for this type of film, it flows very evenly and smoothly which was quite impressive too. The script is good, and as I mentioned the actors made it great, this is a performance driven film. People have been saying this is The Wrestler for 2009 but the films are not actually all that alike, some of the themes are similar but they are totally different films. This is a film I think it is worth giving a chance with, Jeff Bridges alone is worth seeing this for, the man is fantastic and I can't say enough about him and his fantastic talent.

(Written March 3 2010, first published on SuperMarcey.com)

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Recommendations: Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Milk, Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-03-03 03:22:47 by SuperMarcey

2010-03-03 03:22:32

capncal
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2.5

crazy heart

this is not normally the kind of movie i’m gonna rush out and see. i’m more of a sci-fi, action adventure, comedy kind of guy. but while waiting to screen percy jackson and the olympians i had a couple of hours to kill and figured what the hell. it is nominated for best picture. so i sat and watched it. and dang, it’s pretty freaking good.

i’ve always been a fan of jeff bridges from way back starman days and you just can’t beat him as the dude in the big lebowski. but this just might be his best performance ever. hell, i could even tolerate maggie gyllenhall. they are both excellent. and robert duvall, who is listed as a producer, is always great. if i was making a movie of any kind, i’d find a role for robert duvall. he reminds me of this good old boy farmer friend of my dad’s from back home. i love that man.

i’m at heart a skeptic and when i saw the trailers for this film i couldn’t help but have the feeling i’d seen this film before done by clint eastwood sometime in the 80’s. where clint eastwood is a washed up country singer with an alcohol problem and failing health but for the life of me i can’t remember what it was called. and a search of imdb.com didn’t help me. so maybe i’m remembering it wrong. but who cares, crazy heart is friggin’ excellent.

colin farrell has a pretty good size role but isn’t listed anywhere but the end credits. which i found to be interesting. and he does a really good job. i’m not necessarily the biggest colin farrell fan in the world, but he is very believable as the big time country singer who jeff bridges character has mentored and subsequently had a falling out with. everyone in this film is fantastic.

and i’m a critic. so i love to bash folks but i just can’t with regards to this film. i’m still voting for the hurt locker as picture of the year but i have to put crazy heart second on my list. although i’m sure the blind side will win. this film has some real human emotion that i think everyone can relate too. unlike the blind side which is just way too vanilla for me to consider it the best picture of the year. the hurt locker really opened my eyes and gave me a new perspective on our soldiers fighting in the middle east. crazy heart didn’t necessarily open my eyes to anything, but it sure made me look inside myself.

as robert duvall states in this movie, it’s never too late son. it’s never too late. never too late for redemption.

Cal Reed

2010-03-02 22:28:58

JoeandChrisO
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2.5

Crazy Heart

"Crazy Heart" was written and directed by Scott Cooper. It stars Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, and Colin Farrell. The movie is based off the novel by Thomas Cobb.

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) used to be a hugely successful country singer. Decades later he's estranged from his son, four times divorced, struggling with alcoholism and trying to make a comeback in his career since playing at bowling alleys isn't the first place he'd like to do a show. Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist about 30 years his junior, comes into his life. At first it's on a business basis as she is interviewing him, then it turns into a romantic relationship. So yeah, the whole movie is him trying to improve his life and his relationships. Robert Duvall plays Bad Blake's friend, Wayne Kramer, and Colin Farrell plays Tommy Sweet, a young country singer that Bad Blake worked with years before.

The main reason this was such a great movie is Jeff Bridges. He has been nominated four times for an Academy Award and has lost each time. If the Academy has any idea whatsoever what they are doing then this will be the year Jeff Bridges finally gets his Oscar. He is fantastic in this movie. Every single scene he is in, whether he's alone or interacting with another character is believable. He becomes Bad Blake; it's hard to imagine another actor in the role. Every drink he takes and every word he sings is just so real. There's a sympathy for a character who has seen better days, or years even. There's a sincerity to the character, that he actually wants to change his life. And he's not a bad country singer either...of course I have little or nothing to compare him to. It's great seeing him in this movie after seeing him play The Dude in "The Big Lebowski"...such drastically different roles in case you didn't realize it. He works great with the other cast members as well, mainly Maggie Gyllenhaal. I normally do not like her. I felt she was the weak link in the otherwise fantastic cast of "The Dark Knight." She is not bad at all in "Crazy Heart." Despite the pretty big age difference she has something resembling chemistry with Jeff Bridges. She also got an Oscar nomination this year.

The movie looks very nice. Visually it's nothing spectacular or unusual. You have your beautiful landscape shots and your close ups and such. It just fits very well for this movie. I am impressed that this is Scott Cooper's first film. What a fantastic start to his career. He also wrote and produced the movie, which usually works out well since he has the majority of the creative control and the assumption is the end result is how he envisioned it.

At times the pace can be a bit slow...But that's not really a legitimate criticism because it's never gets boring.

Jeff Bridges is winning that Oscar. His performance was one of the best of 2009...and there were some unbelievably great performances by various talented actors and actresses. The rest of the cast, the story, the songs - yes, I didn't mention it before but it's all original songs, including the Oscar nominated "The Weary Kind" - all come together to form a great, well made movie...engaging and memorable...one of the best of 2009. 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend this, even if it's later on in life and you rent it...of course if you don't like country music that is probably an automatic turn off for you...but come on...Jeff Bridges.

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2010-02-26 21:31:58

NeilCal
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2.5

Crazy Heart

The rumors are true: good movie, great performance.

Jeff Bridges is considered a mortal lock for the best actor Oscar next month, and he deserves it. His portrayal of past-his-prime country singer, Bad Blake, shows range, texture and vulnerability.

A four-time nominee, the fifth time will be the charm for Bridges. Everyone knows his Oscar is overdue.

Delightfully, Bridges' performance is not the only excellent one in "Crazy Heart." Colin Farrell, that Irish rapscallion, is fantastic as Blake's one-time protege, Tommy Sweet. Farrell looks momentarily out of place in a cowboy hat and boots, but once he starts talking you immediately stop seeing the actor and start seeing the character. The guy is amazing and he deserved a supporting actor nod. Let's bump Damon to make room.

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a small-town music reporter who strikes up a relationship with Blake and gives the movie its emotional center. She is awesome in this role and it represents a welcome return to her natural environment: the arthouse movie.

Gyllenhaal specializes in authenticity. She doesn't play types, she plays people. The fact that she is not especially attractive makes this easier. Her skills as an actress invite the audience to see what lies beneath the surface of her characters.

But she's got to stay in her lane. Her turn as Batman's girlfriend in "The Dark Knight," a role which demanded an otherworldly bombshell, was embarrassing for everyone.

Overall "Crazy Heart" is a worthwhile experience, but halfway through it goes from potentially great to merely good. This occurs in the scene where Bridges loses track of Gyllenhaal's four year-old son at the mall, as it marks the movie's transformation from personal drama to "overcoming alcoholism" drama.

Such ground has been tread so many times before. I don't need to see a protagonist throw up in a toilet and go to an AA meeting. I've seen it. Over and over.

And by making Bad Blake a straight-up alcoholic, the character was simplified in ways I didn't want him simplified. His troubles in life turned out to be entirely alcohol-related. Once that addiction was dispensed with -- mostly off-screen; for shame! -- he was riding high again.

It's too easy. Real life's harder and fuzzier, and that's a truth a movie like "Crazy Heart" has to capture.

Damn, though, Bridges is a great actor.

SCORE

How Accomplished: 73/100

How Much I Enjoyed: 71/100

2010-02-22 20:49:56

malikaziz
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Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart tells the story of an alcoholic, washed up country singer who is inspired to try for one last chance at redemption. In the lead role, Jeff Bridges comes off as more than believable in the lead role of the singer whose real name we only hear briefly in the third act. As me and my friend joked on the way out, you almost forget that he's the son of a Hollywood legend in his own right (and not somebody who grew up in Texas or Oklahoma). Almost. As far as Maggie Gyllenhall goes, this is the perfect type of role for her. I was pleasantly surprised to find out when I got home that she's also nominated for her performance in this movie. Well deserved.

As far as the film itself, it takes me back to the 70s in terms of the style of filmmaking. A first time writer and director probably helps; I couldn't help but smile to see Robert Duvall prominently involved, both in a supporting role in the film, as well as being one of the producers. There's another star in this movie who's not advertised in the promos; he's a good actor but feels miscast in this film; I won't ruin it for you if you haven't seen it. Like Duvall, he also only appears in a few scenes. But this is Bridges' movie. He won the Golden Globe for his performance; if he takes home the Oscar too, it won't be surprising.

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2010-02-14 18:55:16

PPosey
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2.5

Crazy Heart

Writer and Director: Scott Cooper based on novel by Tom Cobb
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gylenhaal, Colin Ferrell,
Robert Duvall

This movie is a very enjoyable and poignant depiction of a fading Country singer made into an even greater film thanks to the performance of Jeff Bridges. He is pitch perfect as a down on his luck, drunk and fading singer named Bad Blake. He is reduced to playing in bowling alleys and seedy bars. He can barely function and won't write new songs but redemption might be coming. That redemption is in the love of a woman tenderly played by Maggie Gyllenhaal who is outstanding again. This is a leisurely movie that creates a classic character played by one of our finest actors in Bridges. The movie has a beautiful song in "The Weary Kind" plus a great turn by Colin Farrell who Blake had mentored and has turned into a major star. Colin Farrell is fast making my list of actors now that I can't wait to see in more movies. The movie has a nice touch by director Scott Cooper letting the story unfold. What it comes down to is one of the most under appreciated actors giving one of the best performances ever by an actor. What a glorious sight it will be when Jeff Bridges stands up and makes his speech after winning an Oscar!

Vincent Snavely

2010-02-14 00:36:22

ReeltimeReport
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Crazy Heart - ***1/2

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell

Review: There are two types of great movies. One's that are great from a filmmaking standpoint, and one's that are made great by great performances. If you can put those two together (The Godfather) you have an all-time classic. Crazy Heart is of the latter category, a movie with only an average plot, but a couple phenomenal performances.

The movie centers around Jeff Bridges' Character "Bad" Blake and his current life situation. You see, "Bad" was once a big time country musician with hordes of followers (this is alluded to in the movies although not fully delved into), in fact, he even taught one of the current country music stars everything he knows, Tommy Sweet played by Colin Farrell.

However, Bad's current situation involves him trucking across the country in his beat up '78 Suburban to play at dive country bars in po-dunk towns all across the southern United States. During his travels he meets an attractive reporter (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) who actually wants to write a story on Mr. Blake. The story will probably end up being a more "where are they now" type scenario to satisfy peoples curiosity of what happened to this country legend. However, this does not bother Bad. You see, Bad is not only an aging country star holding on to what little glory he had, he is also an alcoholic. Through most of the beginning of the story you get the idea it is this alcoholism that has run people away from his life and is no doubt part of the reason he is where he is, broke and meandering through life.

Bad has had many women in his life and, we are told, has been married 4 times, yet has never settled down. Yet, as he is now 57 years of age, and this reporter has come into his life with her son, he begins to think maybe it's time to settle down and make something of his life. It is from this point that the movie really begins to shine as we see more and more of Bad as a person and learn more about his love interest (Gyllenhaal) as they seemingly begin to fall in love with each other. I will leave the plot at that so as to not spoil it for those who want to see the movie for themselves.

Now, Jeff Bridges gives a great performance here as he portrays a character who has never cared about anyone truly, simply because he hasn't had to. He is at the point in his life now where he wants to care for someone, only he realizes there is nobody left in his life. Which is what Gyllenhaal's character represents to him, validation that he went his entire life w/o caring for somebody so that he could one day find her. This type of character has been portrayed before in film, but it is often hard to tow the line between nailing it as a performance and just coming off as cheesy. Bridges nails it; however, I don't feel he had the best performance in the movie.

The best performance belongs to Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is the real center of the movie and holds it together. She plays the part perfectly of someone who knows her spot in life, gets her wold turned upside down by this outsider, and has to teeter between falling for this man and keeping her feet on the ground in the best interest of her son and herself. She displayed a great range in this movie from the flirty, sexy reporter type, to the emotional mother of a son that means to her than her own life. It seems like an average role, and on paper it is, but it takes an actress with as much talent as Gyllenhaal to pull it off with such success. Meryl Streep has made a living out of turning average roles into Oscar worthy turns and perhaps this shows that Gyllenhaal will be able to do the same in the years to come. We will see, hopefully, I am right.

The rest of the cast is cast perfectly as well. Robert Duvall plays the role that is seems is the only role he can play these days, as the aging sage of a father ready to drop pearls of wisdom at a moments notice. Even so, he is still Robert Duvall and therefore makes the movie more enjoyable. Colin Farrell actually shows a good bit of acting talent I didn't know he had in his limited role. As Tommy Sweet, the country star who is more popular than Bad but owes it all to him, Farrell portrays everything pitch perfect. Sweet is not someone who is going to apologize to Bad for his success or that he is more successful than Bad ever was. However, he does not forget who he is and where he came from and tries to get Bad out of his "slump" and help him out as much as he can.

My biggest gripe with the movie came with the plot that seemed rather unrealistic. Perhaps it was the movies choice to be vague about the passage of time but the romance/love that is kindled between Bridges and Gyllenhaal just happens way too fast, and I fail to believe a romance like that could happen so quickly in real life. After just a few meetings she is all of the sudden ready to travel the road just to see him and bring her son? Something about this just doesn't quite sit right with me. However, I suppose they had to play loose with this part of the plot so they could find a way to get all they wanted out of the actors. If that is the case, then I can forgive. Other than that one gripe, this movie was very enjoyable and well worth your time.

The Movie also has a phenomenol soundtrack.

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Last updated: 2010-03-02 06:34:50 by FadingMemory

2010-02-11 12:25:02

BrianSmith
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Crazy Heart

     Growing up in small (extremely small) town Texas, I have a healthy dislike for Country music. So does "Crazy Heart." It might seem like a meaningless distinction, but "Crazy Heart" is more about the very old school Country/Western/West Texas kind of not quite Country, not quite Rock, not quite Folk music that has a real authenticity to it without being pretentious or superior about exactly how authentic it is the way modern Country music tends to be. The kind musical background that gives us artists ranging from Willie Nelson to Janis Joplin. This may make this review a bit biased, but the characters and situations in this film are real (to me, anyway.) I've known them and people like them all my life. "Crazy Heart" is a real, down to earth drama that doesn't claim that down to earth is somehow superior like so much commercialized, so called, Country music does today.

     "Crazy Heart" is about aging Country and Western star Bad Blake, played Jeff Bridges. Bad Blake is fifty-seven, broke, alcoholic, and is now consigned to playing gigs in small bars in the middle of nowhere and bowling alleys. On one of these gigs he meets small town reporter and hopeful writer Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She has a bit of an infatuation for this aging music icon and the has been Country and Western star is drawn to the occasional glimpses of family life he gets from Jean and her 4 year old son. Add to this Tommy Sweet, played by Colin Farrell, a former member of Bad Blake's band in Blake's glory days and a current Country/Pop star who has reverence for his former mentor for teaching him everything he knows about music and resentment about his fallen idol's alcohol soaked condition. Eventually, Bad Blake finds redemption in these two and the strength to crawl out of the bottle and write new music, even if he's not the star who's playing it anymore.

     "Crazy Heart" is an almost shockingly realistic drama and story of redemption that really lets you get to know the best and worst of its characters without getting preachy or saccharine. Bridges' Bad Blake has a realistic, hard edge to him that isn't endearing but is very human and allows you to connect with his character and his character's situation in a very real and meaningful way. As I said before, I may be biased because of this, but I have known people like Bad Blake all my life, and Bridges Blake was hauntingly familiar to me as were some of the other supporting characters. Gyllenhaal is similarly authentic as the single mother who, rightfully, fears Bad Blake's alcoholic exterior but loves his warm and caring inner self. She makes it easy to both empathize with her need to feel some kind of love and painful to watch her making the same mistakes over and over again. The story may not be overly surprising, but it is realistic and it seems, even the characters themselves can see most of what's coming, but, just like real life, they allow themselves to be pulled into all to familiar and destructive paths until something or someone comes along to pull them out or remind them about the things in life that are worth living for.

     Despite my extreme aversion to Country music, I thoroughly enjoyed "Crazy Heart," and I hope its Western flavor doesn't stop others from enjoying this well acted, well written, drama about some very flawed, but very real characters.

P.S.
     Seeing it at the Alamo Drafthouse and having their "Crazy Heart" themed Biscuit-Battered Bourbon Steak Fingers, made with Bad Blake's three favorite foods, buttermilk biscuits, steak, and bourbon, didn't hurt the experience either. If you are ever in Austin, go to the Drafthouse. You won't regret it.

Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

Last updated: 2010-02-10 19:51:43 by BrianSmith

2010-02-10 19:51:06

BartonRoberts
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Crazy Heart

Sometimes a weak film can be elevated by a singular performance such is the case with Crazy Heart. The film follows Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) an alcoholic has been country musician relegated to playing bowling alleys and bars. Though he has a small but devoted following, most seem to be interested in Bad because of his mentor/protege relationship with Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a major country artist. While in Santa Fe, Bad agrees to do an interview with local reporter Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and soon finds himself falling in love with the young reporter. The two strike up a relationship, as she sees into him, and he in turn falls for her, and becomes something of a surrogate father to her young son.
Crazy Heart is at its’ core a redemption story similar to The Wrestler, however, unlike The Wrestler, the story of Crazy Heart never does much that’s unexpected. Fortunately, the one area the film compares with The Wrestler is the fact that the film focuses on a lead performance so good it makes you willing to forgive most, if not all of it’s shortcomings. Jeff Bridges is absolutely amazing as Bad Blake, quite possibly the best performance in a career full of great ones. The thing about Bridges is that he’s never been a flashy actor, always understated and natural, it’s not a performance where you can easily pick a clip out to show for his all but guaranteed Academy Award nomination. There’s no scene where he delivers an angry tirade or breaks down crying about his wasted life, but he breathes light into Bad Blake makes him a real person and makes the mediocre film around him better as a result.
The rest of the supporting cast is good, Maggie Gyllenhaal turns in a fairly standard performance, though not a bad one, and Robert Duvall shows up to play a friend of Bad later in the film, and performs as well as you’d expect Robert Duvall to perform. Perhaps the only misstep in casting is Colin Farrell as Bads’ protege Tommy Sweet, I’m sure casting Farrell was not an accident at all, as he seems a polar opposite of Bridges, which I’m sure was exactly the point, part of the problem is that you never get the feeling that Tommy Sweet was ever anything other than a guy who could play guitar and sing who’s been slickly packaged by record company executives. I’m sure the point is to place him into contrast with Bad Blake, but the problem with this is that you never see the guy who Bad would have had an interest in mentoring under all the slick packaging.
First time director Scott Cooper does a fine job directing, he certainly realizes that Bridges is not only the heart and soul of the film, but the best thing about it, and makes sure to capture the performance quite well. The film is at times slow and meandering, and I certainly can’t find anyone to blame other than Cooper for not keeping a tighter leash on the film. I guess if I have one problem with the film it’s that the story is not as interesting as the performances in it, I would have been content to spend a lot more time with Bad Blake, but by the time the film ended, I wasn’t yearning for more. Crazy Heart is worth seeing for Jeff Bridges alone, but unfortunately I can’t recommend rushing out to see it immediately.

(Read Less...)

2010-02-10 03:13:32

jfuchsman
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Crazy Heart (Movie Review)

Jeff Bridges, you had me at “I want to talk about how bad you make this room look.” A mere 15 minutes or so into Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges’ Bad Blake speaks that one sentence in the lowest of registers and makes me and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character, Jean, fall in love with him. Written and directed by Scott Cooper (based on a novel by Thomas Cobb), Crazy Heart is the story of hard-drinking, hard-living, and somehow still hard-working country singer, Bad Blake. Once a renowned and beloved singer/songwriter, very similar it would seem to Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, Blake has fallen on hard times, singing in bowling alleys and honky-tonk bars in the southwest. It’s at one of these gigs in Santa Fe that he meets journalist Jean Craddock and is soon taken with the much younger mother of a 4-year old son and she with him. It’s also in Santa Fe that he hears from his manager about performing as the opening act for former protégée and now big-time singer, Tommy Sweet (an unbilled Colin Farrell). Begrudgingly he accepts and when he performs with Sweet we can see, despite the smoking and drinking, he’s still got it…but for how long?

Jeff Bridges is absolutely astonishing as Bad Blake. He really seems to embody this man. It’s a heart-breaking performance. And his chemistry with Gyllenhaal and her son (Jack Nation) is palpable. Gyllenhaal as Jean, so afraid of giving her heart to yet another mistake, really shines. Robert Duval provides a crackling performance as Blake’s now sober, no-nonsense father. The
original music, by Stephen Bruton (who died in May 2009) and T-Bone Burnett, is fantastic and spot on. As a performer, Jeff Bridges is amazing. Who knew he could sing and play guitar? Also more than equal to the singing challenge and very believable is Colin Farrell.

Crazy Heart is a must-see movie. Jeff Bridges, always great in every movie he’s in (check out The Men Who Stare at Goats—he steals every scene) deserves all the accolades he’s getting for this one. Seek this movie out.

Last updated: 2010-01-23 09:46:57 by FadingMemory

2010-01-21 06:28:06

Crazy Heart

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