The plot of Crazy Heart sounds almost clichéd: a washed-up, alcoholic country musician begins a relationship with a young woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the part). This relationship forces the singer, with the unlikely name of Bad Blake, to take stock of his life. And yet, for all these familiar elements, Crazy Heart is more than a sum of its recognizable parts. This is primarily due to the seemingly effortless, understated performance given by Bridges, as well as a catchy soundtrack, and first-rate supporting cast.
Synopsis of Crazy Heart
The film, based on a novel by Thomas Cobb, first joins our booze-swilling protagonist in the parking lot of a bowling alley, where, we soon learn, this once-great country star has been booked to give a concert. Blake, a 57-year-old alcoholic who complains to his agent of having only 10 dollars in his pocket, retains enough fame to score a free bottle of whiskey from a liquor store manager in town, provided Blake dedicate a song to the clerk and his wife. Blake then gets so drunk he misses rehearsals with his backing band and, after dedicating a song to the clerk and his wife, has to leave the stage to go vomit. The song is performed by the back-up band, and Blake returns in time to sing only the final word of the song.
Yet Blake is ultimately pulled out of this miserable existence in the next small town he breezes into. There to play at yet another dive, he is surprised to be asked for an interview for a local paper. This is how Bad Blake meets Jean, a young reporter for whom he falls. Blake’s feelings for Jean, and for her little boy, Buddy, cause him to re-evaluate his life. Blake’s been a drunk his whole life, something that has, in his words, caused him to miss out on a lot.
Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake
For years, it’s been hard for many audiences to look at Jeff Bridges and see anything but The Dude, his hilarious character from the Coen Brother’s comedy The Big Lebowski, or simply as “that guy from Tron.” Yet as Bad Blake, Bridges transcends his own persona so well that, a scene or two into the film, the actor disappears from the viewer’s consciousness completely. That’s Bad Blake up there—poor, drunk, lonely Bad Blake, grappling with his demons and the consequences of a lifetime of bad decisions.
Bridges has always been hit or miss, stellar in films like Starman (1984), and The Fisher King (1991), but phoning it in or downright campy in forgettable films like Arlington Road (1999) and K-Pax (2001). His pathetic attempt at a Boston accent in Blown Away (1994) made a bad film worse, and his campy villain was arguably one of the low points in Iron Man (2008). Yet there has always been something downright likable about the guy, and, despite the numerous unremarkable roles that pepper his long career, from time to time, he occasionally gets a role that allows him to show us what he’s truly capable of. This time, Jeff Bridges rose to the occasion so well that it’s not hyperbole to call it the performance of his career. That Oscar, in short, was well-deserved.
The Supporting Cast
Maggie Gyllanhaal is surprisingly good here as Jean Craddock, a young reporter who interviews Bad Blake and wins his weary, booze-dulled heart. She does a fine job portraying a range of emotions, and her characterization of Jean is possessed of very human contradictions; in certain scenes, she is at once strong and vulnerable, in others, she is both loving and distant. Other notable supporting roles are Colin Farrell as Blake’s former protégé/partner Tommy Sweet and living legend Robert Duvall (also a producer of the film) in a small role as Blake’s bartender buddy Wayne.
The Music
The original music for Crazy Heart, including the Oscar-winning song, “The Weary Kind,” is all superb. Songs like “Hold on You,” “Somebody Else,” “I Don’t Know,” “Brand New Angel,” and “Fallin’ & Flyin’” aren’t just notable curiosities because Jeff Bridges actually sings them. They’re also well-written, catchy songs, courtesy of T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton.
Colin Farrell also sings a few songs in the film. It’s hard to discern whether or not Bridges and Farrell benefit from auto-tune, which is either a testament to their singing or a testament to the evolving technology of auto-tuners. The rest of the soundtrack is laden with classic country from the likes of Buck Owens, Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt, and Waylon Jennings.
Matt Ferrara - Matt Ferrara is the author of the short story collection Young Drunks in Love and the poetry book Five Seeds Enclosed in a Capsule. In ...
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