Crazy Heart

Released: 16th December 2009

Director: Scott Cooper

Stars:Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhall

Certificate: 15

Reviewer: Luke Walkley

Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges, is the down on his luck country singer who, after a successful couple of years filled with hits, has somewhat faded into the background.

A few years after his prime and a substantial amount of whiskey later, Bad (real name Otis) is stuck playing shows in small towns in even smaller bars.

The story leaves nothing to the imagination; it is a simple reformed man story, but in the best kind of way. The story connects you with the characters allowing you to feel what they feel. As we witness scenes of Blake’s fall into alcoholism and the losses he experiences, you can’t help but be drawn into his persona and feel pity for the antihero that Bridges brilliantly portrays. With some hard hitting scenes and well placed music, the film creates a subdued, yet all the while deeply meaningful mindset.

When Blake meets local journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhall) he begins to take stock of his life, deciding upon making himself a better person and upon becoming closer with Jean, providing her and her son with a better life.

As this is a film based around music, for it to have succeeded it needed a strong soundtrack and it does not fail to deliver. This music is almost perfect; each song is written and sung beautifully. The role of Bad Blakes’ fellow country singer and former touring partner Tommy Sweet is filled by Colin Farrell, who at first glance seems to be an odd choice for a country singer, but as I mentioned, the music itself left no questions as to why he was chosen as his voice has all the answers.

Bridges is the epitome of putting no effort into looking effortless. A scene where he struggles to remove a single cigarette from a packet, whilst waking with a hangover, is simple yet so effective in showing us exactly what he wanted us to see in Blake.

The main thing I found lacking in the movie, was Bad Blake’s back-story, we see him attempting to contact his Son in one scene. However I felt the film left a gap as to the real reasons behind Blake’s drinking and his overall separation from his family and friends.

This film will pluck at your heart strings as well as leave you wanting more and with the popularity of this film it certainly won’t be Bridges last song.