If you’re looking for an opportunity to lose yourself in some good old-fashioned country blues, this is clearly your chance. With an excellent soundtrack composed by T-Bone Burnett and a performance from Jeff Bridges that is sure to be considered come March, “Crazy Heart” is worth the price of admission.
Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a washed up country musician. He was once loved for his songwriting ability, only to find himself playing in front of a handful of fans at rundown bars and bowling alleys — not surprising seeing that country fans have the attention span of an ADD riddled toddler. Unexpectedly, Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a small-town reporter shows interest in doing a piece on Bad. With absolutely nothing but raw talent on his side, Bad manages to put a spell on Jean, wooing her with his simple-man, country-boy charm. Bad becomes a constant figure in her life, which includes being the single mother of a rambunctious young child.
The only thing that seems to stand between Bad and a happy life is his urge to drink. Although he’s no monster, its clear that drinking causes him to become self destructive when it comes to his relationships and his career. After nearly losing someone he loves, Bad realizes it’s time to change and enters rehab.
As it is with many first-time directors, Scott Cooper more or less plays it safe. Nothing is new or exciting yet the film still manages to stay somewhat original. It might sound confusing, but sometimes a film just needs to be plain and straight forward, and “Crazy Heart” follows that mold.
It seems necessary to throw a little praise towards Jeff Bridges considering his performance is the backbone of the film — causing what was once supposed to be a direct to DVD film to become a serious Oscar contender. There are many who will say he just plays an older, angry version of “The Dude” and that would be a rookie statement. The best part of his performance is his body language as he responds to the complete loss of his own dignity. He appears to be a man that should have given up on himself a long time ago, but for some reason or another he just keeps on going as if life is a routine, and he knows all the steps.
I’ve tried to construe my opinion as best as I could but here it is in a nutshell, incase I didn’t do my job very well. “Crazy Heart” is a perfectly congenial film. It’s certainly not the best of the year but I’m sure it was better than “Avatar,” right? Ultimately, if you watch the Oscars, you’re going to want to catch this film because there’s a serious chance that Jeff Bridges will take home the coveted award.