Four-time Academy Award nominee Jeff Bridges stars as the richly comic, semi-tragic romantic anti-hero Bad Blake in the debut feature film Crazy Heart from writer-director Scott Cooper. In London cinemas from 19 February, nationwide from 5 March.
2009's "Crazy Heart", which saw The Dude himself scoop a long overdue "Best Actor" Oscar is a truly lovely film. Jeff Bridges brings his usual supply of easy charm and comic timing and tops it off with a surprisingly pleasant singing voice to create country music star "Bad Blake" who surely deserves to be ranked among Lebowski and Cogburn as one of Bridge's best performances.
His supporting cast is not short on quality either, with Colin Farrell displaying a similarly surprising amount of musical proficiency whilst successfully disguising the Irish brogue that graces most of his performances and Maggie Gyllenhaal offering a mixture of charm and vulnerability that make her a more than adequate love interest.
However, this is Bridges' film, following Blake as he tries to reinvigorate his ailing music career whilst also dealing with a drinking problem, the indignity of being usurped in the public eye by his one-time protégée and a romantic relationship with a young reporter who is wary of the four wives he has left behind him and the effect he might have on her young son.
"Crazy Heart" plays out a lot like 2008's "The Wrestler", set in a vaguely similar part of America and following the story of a has-been with a vaguely similar set of demons. The main difference is that "Crazy Heart" is much sweeter, playing things much safer in its plot and protagonist. Blake is simply never difficult to sympathise with: his drinking never seems massively out of control, the only major mistake he makes was an honest one that could as easily have happened sober.
He even remains charming whilst supposedly hammered: he dives backstage to vomit but then composedly reappears to finish the song.
Whereas Mickey Rourke was a true mess in "The Wrestler", barely able to keep his life together and constantly hurting those he cared about, Blake only ever really seems in danger of harming himself. The odd sarcastic quip aside, he's nice to almost everyone else in the film, even his young rival and his career even seems to be picking up: in short, he's a nice, talented guy who drinks a little too much.
Perhaps if the story has begun a little earlier - when his career consisted solely of playing in various dives across the country and there was no young, gorgeous love interest to keep him sober- or if more time was given to the son he abandoned (who the film promptly forgets about after Blake makes one attempt to get back in touch with him), it would've made a harder hitting redemption story.
As it is, it's an immensely enjoyable and incredibly easy-to-watch film with a wonderful country soundtrack featuring the winner of 2009's "Best Original Song" Oscar and a host of other equally great songs, performed by Bridges and Farrell. Both of whom, I'm now convinced, could fall back on a country music career if the whole Hollywood thing ever falls through.
It comes highly recommended for anyone who likes Jeff Bridges, just as a cyanide pill does for anyone who does not.
Truly excellent.
We will publish your review of Crazy Heart on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Scott Cooper writes and directs this drama based on the 1987 novel by Thomas Cobb, starring Jeff Bridges, in a Golden Globe and Oscar-winning performance, as burned-out country singer Bad Blake. Blake has lived his life hard, fast and recklessly. With several marriages in tatters behind him and too many years spent drinking one more for the road, his life has become a parody of the bittersweet songs on which his once-promising career was built. When divorced journalist Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) persuades the reluctant singer to give her an interview, a relationship develops between them that gives Blake one last chance for redemption. The song 'The Weary Kind' gained the film its second Oscar at the 2010 awards.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play A worn-down country singer and a burgeoning journalist form an unusual bond in this drama adapted from the novel by Thomas Cobb. His spirit broken by multiple failed marriages, too much time on the road, and too many nights with the bottle, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) had started to feel like he was headed down the path of no return. When probing young writer Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) digs deep enough to unearth the broken man behind the legend, however, Bad realizes that redemption may not be such a long shot after all. Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell co-star. Age Rating 15
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
