Crazy Heart
“I used to be somebody, now I’m somebody else.” This song sums up the synopsis of Crazy Heart, a drama about has-been country singer Bad Blake played by Jeff Bridges, and how he turns his life around for the better from ruins and destitute to success.
Directed by Scott Cooper, the film starts with Blake driving to a bowling alley to do a gig. During a break he sits on a bench outside for a few seconds, and as he looks at the ground you can see the sadness and exhaustion in his eyes from the years of self-abuse and desperation that he has had to go thru, and you cannot help but feel for this guy.
There have not been that many times when I felt instantly connected to a character on screen. However in Crazy Heart I became fascinated by Bad Blake and his personality, especially with some hilarious lines about his situation which prevented the movie from becoming depressing like some of the other films about country singers have been.
Blake drives from city to city in his old SUV, playing in bars to small audiences without having much money to live on. One day he meets small-town journalist and single mom Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who interviews him about his career. They start a relationship which is very believable despite their age difference. Jean cares for Blake like no-one else has, and soon his life begins to turn around for the better, starting with Blake going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. As he stares at the cool water flowing in the garden of the A.A. lodge you can see that his mind is getting clearer, and you cannot help but cheer for this man after all he has been thru.
There have only been a few times that I have felt that an actor was playing a role that he born to play, and Jeff Bridges gives the performance of his career. You feel that he has played this role his whole life, and at his age, with his character having nothing more to gain, you feel both compassion and redemption that he has finally turned his life around for the better.
There is a scene where Blake goes to see an old friend and owner of a bar played by Robert Duvall, who played another down-on-his-luck country singer in Tender Mercies, for which he won the Best Actor Academy Award in 1983. You can’t help but sense that with Robert Duvall in this film he is a good-luck charm for Jeff Bridges, and makes the movie even more realistic.
With his great singing voice and acting, in my opinion Jeff Bridges gives the best performance of 2009, and should receive the Best Actor Oscar in 2010. If you want to see a film that makes you laugh, even when times get tough for one messed up guy, then Crazy Heart is the one to see.
Crazy Heart • Dolby® Digital surround sound in select theatres • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 • Running Time: 111 Minutes • MPAA Rating: R for language and brief sexuality. • Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures