Film Review: "Crazy Heart"

May 4, 2010

Directed by Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, with Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0349E7kFEM

“Never too late, son—never too late"

“Crazy Heart" is a story about redemption, a story about new beginnings. Musician Bad Blake (Bridges) is a washed-up has-been who lets his addiction to alcohol cause his life to spiral out of control. Once a big-time country music star, Bad's career has been reduced to gigs in bowling alleys and dive bars throughout the Midwest. Bad needs a fresh start.

Bad Blake--flawlessly portrayed by Jeff Bridges in an Academy Award-winning performance--is reserved but outspoken; he loves to joke but seems almost self-conscious; he's bitter and troubled but compassionate and caring. This dichotomy could only be balanced with a performance as strong as Bridges'. We see Bad's inner struggle, his resistance but simultaneous desire to change. More than anything, though, we see that he needs help.

Into Bad's dark, smoky hotel room and fragile life walks Jane Craddock (Gyllenhaal) and the entire game changes. Jane is a strong, sentimental lady who comes to Bad for an interview and leaves a woman in love. Jane brings baggage of her own to the table, most notably her son Buddy who happens to be the cutest child to grace the silver screen since “Jerry Maguire." Bad finds in Jane a sense of stability, a sense of home. Jane finds in Bad a father figure for her son and a strong arm to hold her at night.

Despite his clear love for Jane and Buddy, Bad lets his addiction drive him to rock bottom, and after an automobile accident and losing 4-year-old Buddy while he's drunk, Jane has had enough. It takes losing everything important in his life to realize that he needs help.

Maggie Gyllenhaal's Academy Award-nominated performance in this film packs a punch that might have fared better on Oscar night had it not been up against Mo'nique in “Precious" and Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air." Gyllenhaal holds her own next to seasoned actor Jeff Bridges, and there is certainly something to be said for that feat.

This film is beautifully photographed, although it's hard not to be when you shoot with the phenomenal backdrop of the Midwest. The slow pans through the landscape seem to represent a sense of roaming, perhaps reflective of Bad's lifestyle and search for a new life.

Another key element in this film is its music. “The Weary Kind," written for the film, took home the Oscar for best original song. Throughout the film, music not only contributes to the story, but it also serves to give the audience a look inside Bad's complicated and multi-faceted persona.

Overall, I think the film is fantastic. I'm particularly fond of films that tell real stories about real people, and although it may be difficult to watch Bad's self-destruction, the film presents itself in such a way that you can't help but sympathize. With strong performances, great music, and a powerful message, “Crazy Heart" is a must-see.