Jeff Bridges gives an Oscar worthy performance as a down on his luck country singer in this moving drama.
This year’s Oscar race is being hailed as one of the most predictable ever, and with good reason. As certain as it is that Christoph Waltz will get the Best Supporting gong for Inglorious Basterds, Jeff Bridges will almost certainly win Best Actor for his revelatory turn in Crazy Heart. And it’s taken long enough when you consider the career this legend has had, which includes four previous Oscar nominations and his inspired turn as The Dude in the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowksi.
Bridges plays Bad Blake, a former star of the country circuit who’s been demoted to playing bowling alleys and various dives in Nowheresville, USA. His manager (James Keane) is about the only person who sticks by him. He works tirelessly, even scoring him a gig with country star Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell, surprisingly convincing) but Bad would rather hold grudges (he used to be Tommy’s mentor) and condemn himself to a life spent in dingy motels with a bottle of whisky. Close to rock bottom, Bad meets Jean, a young journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is intrigued by his story and together they begin the long road to redemption.
If it wasn’t for Bridges, Crazy Heart might not have even made it to theatres, let alone be vying for awards success. It was originally scheduled for a straight-to-DVD release but the massive buzz generated from his turn has saved it from such a disgrace. I can see why it was heading that way to begin with though – there’s been a flood of musical dramas of late – Walk The Line and Ray being the most notable so you need something really special to avoid audience overkill.
And while there’s no escaping the derivative origins of the story, Bridges gives the performance of a lifetime and raises Crazy Heart to must-see status. I am yet to see someone portray this type of role with as much authenticity shown here. There’s been some fantastic lead performances this year – Clooney was great in Up In The Air, yet you can’t imagine him pulling off the role of Bad Blake. You need someone with that weathered, hard bastard look and Bridges brings that in spades. The acting is so natural that simply looking at Bridges conveys Bad’s lifetime of alcohol abuse and severed friendships.
Bridges might be the main reason to see the movie but he’s ably assisted with strong supporting performances. Maggie brings conviction to her role and we sympathise with her when she’s forced to make some tough decisions on how much she lets Bad into her life. They share great chemistry together and the film could easily have been let down if this dynamic hadn’t worked. There’s also some great contemplative scenes with Bridges and Robert Duvall, who plays his old friend Wayne.
Any musical-drama needs a good soundtrack and Crazy Heart doesn’t disappoint on that front either. It will especially appeal to singer-songwriter fans given the nature of the movie. All the songs feel natural and help track Bad’s bittersweet redemption. ‘The Weary Kind’, the films big hit, encapsulates his attempt to get out of the rut he’s found himself in – “pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try”. It’s surely going to take out Best Song at the Oscars.
Crazy Heart isn’t the best movie of the year. It never quite manages to get past the familiar origins of the story, leaving me a tad disappointed. Regardless, the brilliant soundtrack and Bridges’ standout turn means you simply must see this bittersweet redemption journey.
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