Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges has always been a fine actor but in Crazy Heart he surpasses the job description. As the actor dissolves, Bad Blake emerges. He’s a country star who has arrived at the gates of old age with little more than a bottle of his favourite liquor and a few dollars in the bank. The character’s hard-living history is virtually burned into Bridges’ performance in every gruff aside and heartfelt ballad. And he ain’t a bad singer.

As his talented backing band breathes life into a dusty old bowling alley it’s hard to believe the singer and his music are a work of fiction. Penned by the likes of Waylon Jennings, Lucinda Williams and Buck Owen, the soundtrack – including the Oscar-nominated song The Weary Kind – should bring out the country fan in all who see the film. The chain-smoking, ponytail-wearing Colin Farrell as Blake’s big-shot country compadre is also fun to watch, his bling tour buses the antithesis to Blake’s crappy truck.

With little background music to prompt the emotions and frequent use of handheld camera, it’s easy to slip out of the movie theatre and into Blake’s life. The only small blue note is his relationship with Jean, played by an otherwise impressive Maggie Gyllenhaal as an emotionally bruised single mother and aspiring music journalist. World-weary and maternal, it would have been nice to see her play harder to get. Instead the love affair comes on faster than a whiskey shot.

But both the leads deserve a shot at the Oscars they are nominated for. This is a gem of a story with a big crazy heart.