Crazy Heart is set in Santa Fe, Texas, where 57-year-old musician Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) plays small shows at bowling alleys and bars. He’s a man who once had fame, fortune and loads of fun playing and living in the moment. But those days have passed. Now, he’s a washed-up—though still respected—has-been who smokes like a chimney and drinks himself sick all too often.
Things are unchanging for Blake until he meets Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who wants an interview for her local newspaper. Blake embraces the opportunity, and it’s from there that we learn about the man’s story: his failed marriages, how he learned to play guitar, and how his songs are reflections of his life.
Along the way, Blake crosses paths with Tommy Sweet(Colin Farrell), Blake’s popular protégé who unintentionally outshines his mentor, and Wayne (Robert Duvall), a wise friend who provides Blake with guidance during his times of difficulty.
Scott Cooper’s Directorial Debut is a Hit and Miss
Crazy Heart, based on the novel by Thomas Cobb, was filmed in 24 days. Writer and first time director Scott Cooper takes us through the ups and downs of Bad Blake’s exhausted, empty life. And Cooper’s admirable decision to have concert scenes where Blake opens for Tommy (Bridges and Farrell are great together) filmed at a Toby Keith concert in Albuquerque only adds to the authenticity of the movie.
The length and pace of the film, however, are problematic. Crazy Heart is nearly two hours, and should have been shorter had Cooper refrained from constantly revisiting Bad Blake’s unhealthy habits. The rate of the story is also bound to leave some wearisome.
In addition, Cooper’s amateurish inability to allow certain scenes to be exquisite result in those moments being blown out of proportion at the expense of his desperation to move the audience.
Jeff Bridges is Crazy Heart’s Star
Jeff Bridges is impressive as country star Bad Blake, soft and whiskey voice in all. He renders a strong, sympathetic performance as a broke, frail and tender man whose only ambition is to abandon his tired, unhappy path and move on to a road of redemption. Bridges, who did his own singing for this film, sings his heart out, and every note he hits rings true.
But though Bridges is effective and entertaining, and Bad Blake’s mellow music provides for moving moments, the movie fails to work as a whole. Crazy Heart is a tune one might consider skipping.
Christopher Engelhardt - An aspiring writer residing in Brooklyn, New York, Christopher Engelhardt has been writing about movies since the age of 19. His first ...
