I’ve been a huge admirer of Jeff Bridges for years now. Very few actors in Hollywood have as diverse of a work history

as him. Bridges has never shied away from independent films, and also has never vied like crazy for commercial results. He has played a ship captain, a psychotic kidnapper, a gymnastics coach, a misunderstood genius pianist, and, of course, The Dude. Bridges has built a resume that defies convention and avoids being typecast as any particular character. This is a rare feat. Actors often times stay within one genre, or stick with what works for them at the box office. Bridges has delved into any genre you name.

This is actually what makes Crazy Heart so amazing. Bridges ability to elevate any material has been his strength throughout his career. The story of Crazy Heart is something that has been done many times before. This is the story of Bad Blake, a former country superstar that is now a full-blown alcoholic playing gigs in bowling alleys and dive bars. He drives himself to his shows and gets drunk before and during, resulting in sloppy sets. The public that does come to see him still embraces him as they are flattered he has come to pay them a visit.

This pattern finally breaks when he meets his new love in Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is a reporter that comes to interview him to get her music writing career off the ground. These two engage in a passionate and believable affair, despite their vast age difference. Though I never have been a fan of Gyllenhaal and think she is one of the most overrated actresses of her generation, she is solid here and plays her side of the love story with intensity, sympathy and real confusion in her simultaneous love and resentment.

Bridges transcends any sense of familiarity of a common story and gives this material new heart in his commanding performance. Though there are many scenes where he is loaded to the gills, you never get tired of seeing him refuse to wrestle with it. He is such a fine actor, he makes every minute of this journey one that is worth taking. He simply takes your breath away with full embodiment of Bad Blake. One aspect that is fresh about this story is that no one has the typical trite freak-out that often times accompanies these subject matters. When the final straw in his drinking pops up, what follows in his actions are new and non-melodramatic. It is actually handled with dignity and class.

One of the themes in this film is the battle of who and what is “real country” and who is just posing. Colin Farrell plays Tommy Sweet, Bad Blake’s protégé. Blake is resentful towards this younger star’s success and how he is playing big shows. In interviews he refuses to talk about him, to give the younger star his due. And not until we meet him can we make up our minds about this shady figure. Farrell has a mere twenty minutes of screen time, if that. And in those minutes, he is the best that he had ever been. His small but meaningful performance and interaction with Bridges’ Blake gives the latter character a new dimension. The protagonist is fleshed out tenfold in those brief moments. My favorite scene of the entire movie is when they duet on stage, and while the two of them alternated lyrics, their facial expressions replacing dialogue, an entire relationship played across the scene. It was magnificent.

This is a film about how life just happens. It is a film about how events continue to occur that challenge you. It teaches you that through your interactions with people in your life, whether they are good or bad, you have to rise to the challenge. These characters in the film don’t run away from anything. They face their demons; they accept them. Though that acceptance doesn’t always mean that everything turns out they way they want, it turns out that they can move forward instead of dwell. Acceptance of oneself is the ultimate goal. Even if there have been less than stellar decisions.

SPOILERS…DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T VIEWED

At the end of the movie the two lovers don’t end up together. At first view, I was disappointed and thought that this wasn’t in line with everything that had transpired so far. But as I thought about it, I realized how great it was to see a film that depicted the reality of life. Bad Blake had his career and his sobriety for his personal success. The peace that they made at the end was all the closure we needed. They forgave each other and realized what they gained from their relationship. This was touching and real and it was nice to see it on the silver scree for once.

Filed under: Bad Ass Leading Men, Oscars, Relationships, silver screen by admin