Crazy Heart (2009)

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It drops you right in there, in the uncomfortable stuff you don't want to see or feel but what can you expect from some of the best actors.They're so good you kinda have no choice, you're gonna feel it, raw, awful, wonderful. I like how this movie doesn't wallow aimlessly in the shallow nonsense that's too often out there these days it seems that we have to wade through to find a decent movie. Or drop you into a chaotic depressing movie, and then it ends there..confusingly..with no point...that's not art, it's a writer on drugs and producers with no grey cells. It's so damn good to be able to rely on real stuff, true talent and brilliant movies from these guys.

Not everyone deserves a second chance, what do we see in Bad Blake (Bridges)? A 57-year-old scuzzy musician on the brink of bankruptcy, touring in small bowling alleys (hey! it is the Dude himself back in his favorite haunt) and bars to make ends meet, what is more pathetic, he is an inveterate alcoholic. But, he is a legend of his profession, though he has been on the downturn for too long and alcohol seriously bogs down his songwriting gift along with his health, now he basically banks on his old discography to attract his die-hard/desperate groupies and holds an invidious grudge towards his protégé Tommy Sweet (Farrell), who is the red-hot country star now, but becomes more and more independent from him.CRAZY HEART is Scott Cooper's debut film which finally won Jeff Bridges an Oscar more for his overdue status (5th time is the charm) than the calibre of the performance per se. There is no denying of the country-veteran finesse on stage from the musically inclined Bridges, which rightfully should also be obliged to a killing soundtrack cooked up by Mr. Burnett and the late Stephen Bruton. Mr. Bridges certainly goes out on a limb to make Bad Blake a thorough and convincing transformation from a down-and-out performer lolling in his dim motels watching Mexican soapie to a smitten soul resuscitated by a May-December romance with a young singer- mother-cum-journalist Jean Craddock (Gyllenhaal), we see him drinking, performing, vomiting, meeting-cute, touring with Sweet, parenting, drinking, panicking, repenting, drinking, vomiting until he passes out in his bathroom, then drying-out and finally he can write some new materials, the trajectory is ever-familiar, but proffers carte blanche for Mr. Bridges to rescue his character from his self-destructive morass and render as much sympathy as possible.But the plot takes some arbitrary licenses in their doomed romance, for instance, if one intends to blame Bad's alcoholism for the incident causes the riff between him and Jean, the approach should have been more specific, in lieu of simply making a toddler disappear even before Bad is visibly well-oiled, which seems to imply that Jean is over-reacting in the aftermath (because the scenario could happen to everyone other than those who are under the influence), to shift some burden from Bad's behavior to Jean, and harshly intimate that she might not be such a saintly savior as we see, albeit in our moral compass, whoever is brave enough to kiss that alcohol and smoke soused mouth, then subsequently falls in love with a character like Bad Blake, must be a self-sacrificing angel!Ms. Gyllenhaal usurps an Oscar nomination too, but her character is pigeonholed into a generic love interest slot, with no further delving into her psyche except for her overbearing maternal protection towards her son, also in the love-making shots, there are tangible awkwardness between her and Bridges, perhaps, both are too self-aware of their gaping age difference, against Cooper's conspicuous endeavor to project Jean in the centre during their making out, to pinpoint that she is literally enjoying the process, which only becomes embarrassingly risible, betrays a stinking whiff of self-boasting of a unpleasant, elder man's potency. Colin Farrell, during his limited screen-time, brings a breezy personality with his undisclosed singing bent, in a surprising way, his Tommy Sweet is not a blatant ingrate as we had anticipated (mostly influenced by Blake's steely taciturnity whenever his name pops up). At bottom, CRAZY HEART is a slightly above-par independent charmer, nevertheless doesn't live up to all the accolade it has sparked.

If I had to describe "Crazy Heart", I'd call it a country song that's been thrown up onto the big screen. And I say that in the most complimentary fashion because it's the kind of quiet, worn-down cowboy song that sneaks up behind you and does so without being ostentatious or melodramatic.The cast here all hold their own (between Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell), but it's the star turn from Jeff Bridges that really makes this shine. He embodies the pain and self-recrimination of a has-been performer on the downslope of life. Like the rest of the movie, he's organic and the award-winning performance speaks for itself. 7/10

Saw this movie tonight and I have to say: what a good surprise! It made me realize so many things and so many thoughts crossed my mind. First of all, a special honour to one of the greatest actors alive: Jeff Bridges. He is the movie! Such a good acting! This movie is such an inspiration because it can give us a refreshing perspective of life and it's all based in one sentence: It's never too late to change! It's never too late to make a new path, to love, to rebuild yourself as a person! Everybody say that life's too short ... well, this movie shows exactly that you've got to keep moving forward no matter what bad things or bad choices you make. Just keep living, keep doing good things and you'll always get payback! Highly recommended movie.