Crazy Heart

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Rating: R

Starring:

Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jean Craddock

Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet

Robert Duvall as Wayne

James Keane as Manager

Anna Felix as Barmaid

Paul Herman as Jack Greene

Tom Bower as Bill Wilson

Ryan Bingham as Tony

Beth Grant as Jo Ann

Rick Dial as Wesley Barnes

Debrianna Mansini as Ann

Jerry Handy as Cowboy

Jack Nation as Buddy

Ryil Adamson as Ralphie

J. Michael Oliva as Bear

David Manzanares as Nick

Special Features:

Deleted Scenes

Other Info:

Widescreen (2.35:1)

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Spanish and French Languages

Running Time: 111 Minutes

The Details:

The following is the official description of the film:

“Award winner Jeff Bridges delivers the performance of a lifetime in ‘Crazy Heart,’ the powerful story of a country music star’s rocky road to redemption. Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a boozy, broken-down singer who reaches for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the music. But will Bad’s hard-livin’ ways and crazy heart cost him his last chance at a comeback?”

“Crazy Heart” is rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Mini-Review:

A lot of independent films enjoy showing a character whose life is slowly spiraling down the toilet only to be ultimately flushed down the sewer by the end. I think it’s easier for them to portray the dark and dismal side of life, so that’s why they go for it again and again. It’s a lot more difficult to show a character who has hit rock bottom, then slowly climbs his way back up again. That’s what made “Crazy Heart” interesting to me. It’s the opposite of “The Wrestler” in many respects.

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, a washed up country singer who has gone from playing major concerts to performing at bowling alleys while drunk. He literally walks out of the middle of a performance to vomit in the alley. He’s a mess, really. Oddly enough he meets a young reporter named Jean Craddock who, for some reason, is attracted to Bad. She and her young son inspire Bad to clean up his act. Unfortunately, it also means the stakes are upped when he relapses. You can’t help but root for Bad despite the fact that he’s so messed up. You want to see him succeed, reconnect with his estranged son, and generally get his life together. I guess it’s a testament to the charm of Jeff Bridges that he can make an otherwise unappealing character someone you cheer on.

Bridges is backed up by an excellent supporting cast. Maggie Gyllenhaal is good as Jean Craddock. The idea of her falling for a drunken country singer old enough to be her father is a bit hard to believe, but somehow she does make it believable. Colin Farrell is also great as Tommy Sweet, the former apprentice of Bad and a hot young country singer. He would be an easy character to hate since he seems to have stolen the throne from Bad, but Farrell makes him rather likable. Then there’s Robert Duvall as Wayne. He’s the one man that Bad can count on to stick by him no matter what, and he’s the guy that ultimately helps him pull himself up again from his lowest point. Everyone wants to have a friend like Wayne.

The music in the film is also excellent. Written by T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton, it is toe-tapping good and will make you want to download the soundtrack on iTunes. I was impressed with both Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell in their singing performances.

If you’re a fan of Jeff Bridges, then “Crazy Heart” is required viewing for you. He carries the film and delivers a strong performance. It’s not his most memorable role, but definitely a good one. Anyone that’s a fan of country music or dramas with uplifting endings will want to check it out, too.

Unfortunately, the bonus features on the DVD are minimal. You only get a few minor deleted scenes. There’s no ‘making of’ featurette, no documentaries on the creation of the music, no commentaries, no music videos, etc. Maybe they’re on the Blu-ray or some future edition of the movie. DVD customers are out of luck.

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