Written and directed by Scott Cooper
Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Sarah Jane Morris, Colin Farrell
Rated R for profanity, brief sexuality
Rating - 1 bullet hole
Whiskey has been a thorn in your side
and it doesn’t forget
the highway that calls for your heart inside
- Ryan Bingham, “The Weary Kind” (title track of Crazy Heart)
Many joke about the maladies that befall the subject of a mournful country song, the poor bastard who loses his wife, his job, his car, his dog, and just about anything else that one can hold dear. Crazy Heart deals with such a man but in a manner that completely avoids sentimentality and deals with such brokenness in a raw, unflinching honesty.
Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, a washed up country singer who now plays bowling alleys and other pitiful small venues. He has bad marriages, a son, and his career left behind in a wake of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and bad choices.
In one small town, he meets a piano player whose daughter - Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is trying to forge a journalism career and wants to interview Blake. Blake agrees. When Jean begins to dig beneath this craggy, hardened surface, the two begin to fall in love. Jean has a four-year-old son who is the center of her life. Her son is the same age as Blake’s son when Blake abandoned him. He sees his chance at redemption and bonds with the boy.
Crazy Heart has some strong similarities to 1983’s Tender Mercies in which Robert Duvall played a similar character who bonds with a woman and her son. Duvall won an Oscar for that role and also appears in Crazy Heart as Wayne, a recovering alcoholic and bartender who is a close friend of Blake’s. If Duvall’s character were also an ex-musician, he could easily be playing Mac Sledge here.
In fact, it is this likeness not just to Tender Mercies but other countless stories that is the film’s biggest weakness. We’ve seen this story before, and Crazy Heart doesn’t cover a lot of new ground from a plot standpoint. I do, however, admire the conclusion of Blake’s story for reasons I obviously can’t get into.
The other big weakness of the film is Maggie Gyllenhaal. To me, she seems terribly miscast. Maybe it’s because I identify her so much with her numerous brooding and eccentric art-house roles she’s played in the past. But, I believe it’s more than that. She doesn’t exude that Southern charm that say an Ashley Judd would. Whatever the case, I just don’t buy Jean as “real country”, a phrase that Bad Blake uses.
On the other hand, I was impressed with Colin Farrell as country singer Tommy Sweet, who is the current “hot young act” in the industry and who shares a past with Bad Blake. Farrell’s Irish accent is completely absent, and I bought him as real country.
Of course, the star of the show is Jeff Bridges. I am amazed with this man as an actor. He makes every role look so damn easy. He is Bad Blake. After a while, I forgot I was watching Jeff Bridges. You can smell the whiskey on his breath and the cigarette smoke on his clothes. You see the pain of a wasted life on his face. Despite his boozing and womanizing, Blake is an eminently likable guy. As an audience, we want to hang out with him. I imagine it’s because this is a movie about second chances. Like I’ve said before about other great movies, its theme is universal.
I am not a country music fan. I don’t hate it, it’s just not my style. Yet, I loved the music in this film. Much of the original music is written by Stephen Bruton and T-Bone Burnett. Many of the songs are performed by Jeff Bridges, himself a musician. It is all terrific. In fact, as I write this review, I am listening to the title track. This is a real musical treat.
Alcoholism is a frequent topic of country songs. Many times, it is used as a punchline. I loved how Crazy Heart tackles the issue head on. Blake’s struggles take center stage and become a major plot point. This is a sobering look at how devastating the addiction can be.
This is also Scott Cooper’s first feature which is astonishing. We’ll be seeing more from him in the future.
Crazy Heart isn’t perfect but if you are moved by great performances, human drama, and soulful music, then make time for this one.
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