Review: Crazy Heart

Last year Mickey Rourke picked up plaudits and awards (but not an Oscar) for playing a self-destructive character who loved what he did and was once great but had fallen on hard times and was now taking smaller engageemnts at crummy venues for not much money he was estranged from his child but was motivated to start his life over with a new woman who is a single mother with a son while at the same time suffering medical woes. That film was The Wrestler and it was interesting and thought-provoking and Rourke was rightly touted as an Oscar favourite. This year Jeff Bridges is the Oscar favourite for playing a self-destructive alcholic country music musician who was once great but has now fallen onto hard times and is picking up gigs in small venues such as bowling alleys and not getting paid much for them he has a son who he hasn't seen in years but finds redemption and starts to turn his life when he meets Maggie Gyllenhaal's journalist who is a single mother with a son and has to stay with after finding out about his medical problems. But Crazy Heart is a lot gentler than The Wrestler at no time is Bridge's Bad Blake but in dire jeapordy or is his country music or noterity ever portrayed as a bad thing. Instead the one thing that is killing him, is his drinking and we have this shoved down our throats right from the get-go as Blake leaves a Bowling Alley gig to throw up out back.

The film's other main focus is on Blake's three seperate relationships. The first is a unlikely romantic liaison with Maggie Gyllenhaal's character which results in him bonding with her son. The second is with his former protegee Tommy Sweet who has since become a megastar something that Blake resents and the third is with his good friend played by Robert Duvall. Bridges makes Blake captivating at all times and manages to have chemistry with all three of these characters in slightly different ways. It is if The Dude were an acoholic rather than a pothead and played Country music he would be Bad Blake but Bridges plays the role with such conviction that an Oscar is surely in the bag. Meanwhile Gyllenhaal is also impressive, if in my opinion a little miscast, as the wannabe journalist who has to juggle professional ambitions with motherhood and is unsure of Blake's stability. Robert Duvall's role is very small indeed and while you can see that he and Bridges enjoyed spending screen time together the role doesn't befit someone of Duvall's experience. Meanwhile Colin Farrell is also very good as Tommy Sweet even if his singing can't hold a candle to that of Bridges but maybe the point is that Blake is more talented but because Tommy is more photogenic he has been able to have the better career.

If you're not a fan of country music be aware the film has a LOT of singing in it and Bridges does it all himself. Overall a good film that explores themes of jealousy, addiction and fame but not necessarily in a hard-hitting or cutting way. Crazy Heart maybe would've been better if it had a few sharper edges as it is it is a very well performed film but at the same time very gentle and unwilling to tackle the tough issues.