Jeff Bridges plays a run down, country western singer blessed with talent, but cursed in old age from the relentless sins of alcohol and cigarettes. What could have been, and felt like a modified version of the downfall of Mickey Rourke's Randy in last year's The Wrestler at least part way through, turns out to be something more of a personal triumph over addictions that all too often end in destruction.
The character, Bad Blake is making his living from one gig to the next that finds him in the small towns of the south playing lounges and even bowling alleys to die hard fans from his better days. He enjoys a fan base in this area that still appreciates a live performance of his twangy-talking country sing-alongs. Jeff Bridges himself pulls this off remarkably well which is one of the reasons for his Oscar nomination.
But in between the singing is the drinking, smoking and living in motels, a hideous GMC suburban, and the anticipation of Bad Blake dropping dead in his own drunken vomit. If you are faint of heart for watching drinking and driving, chain smoking, and sweaty clothes on an overweight, unkempt, bearded, pot-bellied grandpa singer, then consider this movie X-rated. In fact, at one point during a concert, Bad runs out on his band-for-hire to spew into a garbage can behind the bowling alley.
You think that would have been a low point, but no, Bad Blake has lived like this for what seems like years but remarkably, still has a manager who books the gigs and somewhat of an adversary named Tommy Sweet who Blake used to partner with and write songs for until Tommy Sweet became just too big for Bad. Bad Blake's real bottom was when he actually fell in love with Jean Craddock a not-so-serious music reporter, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. You might think that would have been a good thing, but events in that relationship take a life threatening turn, and it is only then that Bad Blake realizes the gravity of the things he has lost and people he has hurt during his life to his alcoholic behaviour.
Jeff Bridges has been nominated for an Oscar in this role and deservedly so. Crazy Heart is a movie that feels real because it avoids going over the top even though it could easily have done so. The soundtrack could be a CD itself and Robert Duvall adds supporting strength to this cast. |
