Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Sarah Jane Morris

Directed by: Scott Cooper

Reviewed by: Conor Flynn







It’s surprising to think that Jeff Bridges still hasn’t won an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role. Even his most iconic part, “The Dude,” in the Chon Brothers ‘The Big Lebowski,’ failed to even get him nominated. There have been a few close calls, namely ‘The Last Picture Show,’ ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,’ ‘The Contender’ or even John Carpenters highly underrated ‘Starman,’ the one which Bridges himself believes he deserved an award for. It’s interesting to note that the latter film shows Bridges performing a cover of The Everly Brothers ‘All I have to do is Dream’. The song is far from a career highlight, but showed the diversity of the actor, something which he is repeats magnificently in Crazy Heart…

Bridges plays Bad Blake, a washed up country singer with an alcohol issue. He tours around venues he’d rather not play; however, an opportunity develops which enables him to go back on the road with a one time protégée, the now famous, Tommy Sweet (Farrell). Along the way, Blake meets Jean (Gyllenhaal), a journalist who he begins to fall in love with, however, Blake’s problems soon threaten to get the better of him…

So is Jeff Bridges as good as the hype suggests. The simple answer is yes, but there is a question mark as to whether or not this is his most memorable role. For most he will forever remain “The Dude,” but Crazy Heart shows Bridges at his most passionate yet grizzled. Amusingly he reminds me of Sam Elliot…in ‘The Big Lebowski’. That isn’t helped by the opening sequence which shows Bad Blake in a bowling alley positioned in much the same way as Elliot in the latter film. Beyond the odd comparison, Bridges slips into the role sublimely and convinces both in the role of an alcoholic and that of a county music singer. Maggie Gyllenhaal is the lynchpin to Bridges performance and equally manages to convince as a reporter. Also good, though slightly less convincing as a musician, is Colin Farrell. His cameo is short, but effective.

All said and done, this is about Bridges performance more than anything else. There’s not much exceptional about the story. We’ve been here before, most recently with last years excellent ‘The Wrestler,’ but to a less interesting or original degree. The middle section of the film sags slightly from this over familiarity and the final third, in which Blake loses Jean’s child, feels rather tacked on for no other reason but to rejuvenate a by the numbers storyline. Thankfully the acting keeps your interest jettisoned enough to overlook its obvious flaws.

Crazy Heart is decent, with two terrific performances. Worth checking out though the story is far from memorable.