Crazy Heart

Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 112 min

Jeff Bridges stars in this brute, but heart warming movie based on a 1987 novel written by Thomas Cobb. Directed by Scott Cooper, a former actor, Crazy Heart tales the story of an emblematic anti-hero type of character, Bad Blake.

Set on the arid background of Santa Fe and Albuquerque, the movie slowly develops, unraveling at a soft pace that allows the characters to unfold. Crazy Heart is not a thoroughly entrenching story, with multiple twists of plot or action filled. The movie sticks to its main character, Jeff Bridges,  who fills the stage literally with his acting skills and interpretation of country music singer Merle Haggard, as director Cooper says that Haggard's image was the main influence in his portrayal of Bad Blake.

Bad Blake is a  57 year old man, on the verge of passing out from constant drinking, and bad living habits, that's subconsciously trying to destroy himself. Bridges' part is actually quite difficult, and resembles in a way Mickey Rourke' role from last year's “The Wrestler”. Like Rourke, Bridges has the most chances to win the Oscar for best actor this year, and this is in itself a major reason to go see the movie. Another one would be the excellent original soundtrack that includes a lot of great country music songs created by Stephen Bruton and T Bone Burnett, who also composed music for “Cold Mountain, and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. “The Weary Kind” is the them song of the movie, who also won the Golden Globe award and the Critics Choice award for best song in a motion picture. The Oscar nomination the song also received this week will surely bring Crazy Heart another statue.

Jeff Bridges comes from a long line of hit movies, like “The Last Picture Show”, “The Big Lebowski”, “The Fisher King” and “Tron”. This year's Oscar nomination is the fifth in his career, and possibly the one who will bring him the Oscar.

As the plot goes, things are rather simple. Bad Blake is always on the run, in his trashed Suburban Silverado, earning a living by playing at night in shady places like bowling alleys, saloons and piano bars. No matter how dire the situation is, he never misses a show. Once very famous, Blake is now married and divorced four times, with a terrible record in relationships. When pretty journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) wants to interview him, things start to look better for the battered old man, as he tries to shed some grief and find himself again. Blake and Jean get involved in a romance which pushes Blake to re-discover his kind and nurturing side, and when 4-year old, Buddy, Jean's son, befriends Blake, he is left without a choice, but to finally give his crazy heart what it missed for so long. Along the way, appears Colin Farrell, which plays Blake's former and younger partner who is now at the height of his glory. He comes to Blake to ask him to write a song for him, and their relationship pulls out the worst and the best from the two of them.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is best known for her role in “The Dark Knight”, while Colin Farrell from “Minority Report” and “Phone Booth”. The two of them provide a great backbone for the movie, as this is a drama centered on characters and their evolving natures and relations, and not on an active plot. Crazy Heart is dedicated to the memory of Stephen Bruton, who passed away last year due to throat cancer. If you're in for a real-life drama, with no unnecessary sugary stuff, but plenty of good songs and great actors, you definitely have to see Crazy Heart.

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