Oscar Movie Review: Crazy Heart
First there was Hank Williams, then there was Johnny Cash, and now there is Bad Blake
-by Christopher Sewell
Bad Blake, portrayed on the silver screen by Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, is a guitar-slingin’, whiskey-drinkin’, heart-breakin’ son-of-a-bitch. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just lived a rough life and that’s what makes him so soulful and believable (though perhaps bordering on a bit of a County and Western archetypal cliché). Bad isn’t the kind of guy who has learned his life philosophy from studying Foucault or Hobbes; no, he’s the type who has learned what he knows from late nights in smoky bars and from the years on the road pouring his heart out through his guitar.
“I’m 57 years old and I’m broke” he tells his manager on the telephone from a dumpy motel. Touring around the South in his tattered 78′ Chevy Suburban, Bad plays to small but loyal crowds at bowling alleys and dive bars between crashing at grungy motels with nothing but a bottle of whiskey to keep him company and maybe a woman for the evening. When Bad arrives to play a couple of gigs in Santa Fe he’s asked if he would do an interview with a local journalist, Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Where do Bad’s sorrowful, catchy country songs come from? “Life, unfortunately,” he tells Jean during their interview. Despite their difference in age and lifestyle, the two seem to have chemistry and a love affair ensues.
Meanwhile, Bad’s old band mate, the suave and good-looking Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), plays in packed amphitheaters across the country on a highly successful National tour. Clearly Bad has hard feelings for his former protégé and jealousy over his success but he reluctantly accepts an opening slot on his date in Phoenix as the two reunite for a show. Bad’s alcoholism and generally destructive lifestyle seem to be what he’s settled on but with a new love in his life and a potential chance to regain the Star form so many in his life find him deserving of, perhaps he can get things turned around.
Crazy Heart has a lot of familiar themes with the “it’s-never-too-late” ethos as the story focuses on a downtrodden former star trying to rebuild his life and his career (think The Wrestler). Whatever this film lacks in originality I think it makes up for in spirit and character. Bridges is incredibly natural as he portrays Bad Blake and the supporting actors including Gyllnenhaal and Farrell as well as Robert Duvall show how great casting can make a somewhat familiar story still feel incredibly dynamic.
If you’re a fan of films like Walk the Line but prefer the gritty feel of independent films, then Crazy Heart is a must-see.
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Categories: Fused Movies, Movie Reviews, Reviews
