Crazy Heart, based on the novel by Thomas Cobb, is a story about a washed up country singer named Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges. Bad seems at one time to have been as successful as Johnny Cash, but when we meet him his is drunk, overweight, and broke. Bad travels across the country, in his own beat up truck, to play in bars and bowling alleys. Along the way Bad meets single mother Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, a reporter for the local paper who falls in love with Bad after interviewing the 57 year old washed up singer. She sees something in him that the audience would like to see, but what the booze and cigarettes are not hiding from us. Bad is an alcoholic, and being so has completely destroyed his career and soon conflicts with his new love interest.Jeff Bridges is absolutely perfect for this role. He wears Bad like a tailored suit, and the director doesn’t hesitate to give us every imperfection on Bridges’s body, such as his overweight stomach or his sweaty arm pits. An actor like Sam Elliott is too suave for a part like this. But for Bridges, it is right up his alley and he plays it well. It can be complicated to get an audience to follow a character that they can both love and by disgusted by at the same time.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, also does a great job. What I like about her, and this even applies to big blockbuster films like The Dark Knight, is that she isn’t the typical bombshell beauty that might we usually see, e.g. Denise Richards playing a nuclear scientist in The World Is Not Enough. With Gyllenhaal there is still a pretty face, but she embodies her characters well enough that they seem believable and interesting.
The pacing of the film is a little slow, but the acting is incredible and the songs from the film are a good listen as well. The film has been nominated for several Academy Awards. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wins Best Song. For Bridges, he could very well win and it would be well deserved. Gyllenhaal’s performance is great and worthy of a nomination, but would be surprising if she wins.
Grade: B+
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2 comments:
I loved your review of this film! This movie for some reason drove my friend and I to go immediately to the liquer store to buy some of our favorites. Then we went back to my pace and drank all night...LOL
Good Movie Though!
Thanks for commenting. Yeah, I felt the same way after the film. Even though drinking is what lead to all of his problem, for some reason my lips felt a little dry after the screening. I think I went home and made a drink as well.
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