CRAZY HEART
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall
Down-on-his-luck outlaw country maverick Bad Blake is a self-destructive drunk– a tortured train wreck who leaves nothing but misery in his wake. As portrayed by Jeff Bridges, he plays like an ornery cross between Kris Kristofferson and The Dude, armed with whiskey and a guitar instead of White Russians and a bowling ball.
But there’s no Donny or Walter to provide comic relief in writer-director Scott Cooper’s self-assured debut; only a mopey Maggie Gyllenhaal as a reporter/groupie who falls for the charming ol’ cuss, Robert Duvall as the friend who tries to help him stay on the wagon, and Colin Farrell as the former sidekick who’s emerged as a true country star, eager to give his old boss a hand up into the spotlight. Truth be told, Blake is a killer songwriter but his own worst enemy– a Behind The Music cliché we’ve seen a thousand times before.
It would all be terribly maudlin were it not for Bridges’ terrific turn, which elevates the material substantially and recalls Mickey Rourke’s work in The Wrestler. The movie itself isn’t great, but it features some of the best work of the four-time Oscar nominee’s career. Don’t be surprised if Crazy Heart brings Bridges his first win. (B) –Bret Love
(Originally appeared in INsite)
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