Bad Blake is a washed up alcoholic has-been musician doing small gigs for loyal fans between binges. At one such gig, he meets rock writer, Jean Craddock. The two start a long distance affair as Blake continues to tour struggling to get out of the shadow of his much more successful protegee. Blake, not getting any younger, learns the hard way about how difficult life can really be.
Just like The Wrestler mirrored Mickey Rourke's film career, Crazy Heart mirrors Jeff Bridges'. Jeff is a seasoned veteran. He has been in the spotlight for so long. He has inspired generations of actors, yet an Academy Award and big dollar paychecks have alluded him so far. Bridges is easily one of the most underappreciated talents in Hollywood. Now with this grand slam of a performance, his Oscar win seems within reach, and he is every bith worthy of the praise and recognition he garners for this role. Stirring emotions when numbed by alcohol is no easy task. The scene in the mall where Blake loses Jean's son is incredibly tense. The old codger limps around on his bad leg sweating profusely words spilling out the corner of his mouth.
Colin Farrel gets by on his own in this picture, but it is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who has performed so fantastically in the past, who just kind of falls short. She melds into the background so easily and becomes a piece of the set like a lamp or a chair. Her starry eyed rock writer quickly becomes a starry eyed rock groupie falling for all of Blake's corny tricks and ends up for a short period being apologetic of his faults until the last straw. This may seem more like a writing problem byt Gyllenhaal's inability to transcend them certainly halts any empathy from developing. But then again, it is not her show, its Blake's. Her eventual rejection of him is what sets him on the right path.
This is just a taste of the bigger problem. The story is flat, slow, and completely uninspired. Its elements are those that have been seen over and over again in these over the hump stories of redemption. It is usually unmemorable to do its minimalist approach. Often, it feels tenuous to go through so much turmoil with little balance in the opposing direction. Just stacking problems one on top of the other feels ingenuine. The progression is obvious and causes the viewer to check out with only Bridges to reel you back in.
The soundtrack is great. I am not usually one for country music, but this is not the twangy "She Thinks My Trailer's Sexy" country nor is it bubblegum pop with a southern accent. This is the Southern-inspired rock and roll a la Johnny Cash. Steeped in blues, where the musicians wear their emotions on their sleeve and believe in the unlimited power of love.
This is obviously a role handcrafted for Bridges and his inevitable Best Actor win. The role allows him a lot to do, but the plot is to thin for him to really get anywhere.
6/10
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