Review: Crazy Heart
Posted by Dasha Kotova on January 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The idea of a film attempting to explore “the man behind the music” is, by itself, tired enough that it can be hard to imagine what sort of talent it would take for this kind of project succeed. Luckily, Jeff Bridges possesses this talent, which he uses to make Crazy Heart travel beyond the confines of its premise into an earnest and sympathetic portrayal of a damaged antihero. Written and directed by Scott Cooper, and based on the book by Thomas Cobb, this film stands out among other music dramas, based on its star’s ability to make the central figure come alive.
The story is thoroughly concerned with the main character – a lonesome, heavy-drinking country musician, who goes by the name Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges). Though he’s a legend to old-school country fans, Blake doesn’t have much money, energy, or inspiration anymore, touring all alone, and playing his old standards in bowling alleys and small bars. From the start, it’s kind of hard to decide whether he’s a badass or a loser – or some odd combination of both. He takes little care of himself, having no desire to change or do much with his life, but he’s got style, he’s still a natural onstage, and all of his sweaty, smoky grizzledness can’t deter him from charming the ladies. A journalist named Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) fails to be immune to that when he starts putting the moves on her during an interview. Soon, it appears that Blake is not simply attracted to her – he shows signs of a real emotional attachment. The uneven path of their romance consumes a significant portion of the film, as well as Blake’s loneliness and alienation, his efforts to do something with his career, and his ambivalent, resentful relationship with the country superstar Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a former protégé of Blake’s, who is now selling out big-time venues despite having much less of a raw talent. All the struggles and uncertainties are exacerbated by Blake’s alcohol problems, and his doubts about whether anything could change.
Bridges’ performance – the way he presents his character with every gesture, word, and facial expression – really is what makes the movie. It’s easy to stop being concerned with what predictable turns the story might take – it’s just interesting to see how he will do those things. Regardless of whether the plot itself is believable or interesting, Bridges’ incredibly subtle acting job compels enough attention to make the whole thing worthwhile. He allows the character to unravel deeply within him, making it look as though he really spent his whole life playing country music and failing miserably at personal relationships. Blake becomes real enough to elicit genuine sympathy in regards to his troubles and foibles.
Though Farrell and Gyllehaal are also extremely competent performers, their Southern accents sound a little less smooth and their roles seem a little less organic next to Bridges’ sublime portrayal of Blake. It seems, however, that there is an added tone of warmth and maturity in Gyllenhaal’s face here, compared to some of her other films. Jean comes across as genuinely infatuated with Blake as she pursues a relationship with him against her better judgement, and, though the pairing may seem improbable at first, they do have a lot of chemistry in the film.
The music is a real asset to the movie as well. The songs themselves are quite well-crafted, and their presence adds to the story’s emotional tone. Once it’s established how important his music is to Blake, watching him perform seem to reveal a great deal about his inner life, in a way that goes beyond a verbal exposition. Musical numbers in movies about musicians often have a hint of pompous inauthenticity – such is not the case with Crazy Heart. All the Bad Blake songs are performed by Bridges himself, and, rather than indulging in a sort of fantasy about being a cool, tragic country guy, he uses them to further his connection with the character he portrays.
Much as you might already have an idea of how the whole thing will go, Crazy Heart is definitely worth a watch, on the basis of the competence and sincerity that went into it, especially that of Jeff Bridges. The talent and insight of the film’s lead actor makes the process much more important than the end result. This is likely to become a memorable point of Jeff Bridges’ already exciting and iconic career.
Related posts:
