New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

In a bit of a pickle and a rush to see as many SAG Award-nominated films as possible before voting, the Big Daddy and I went to see Crazy Heart a couple of weeks ago. This small American musical-drama was originally acquired by Paramount Vantage for a direct-to-video release but was eventually purchased by Fox Searchlight for theatrical distribution. And it's a very good thing, too. Not only is it a welcome adult drama, the kind we see fewer and fewer of in cineplexes these days, but Jeff Bridges gives the performance of his career in this film. Had Crazy Heart not played theatrically and Bridges' work not been award-eligible, a great disservice would have been done. His performance is deserving of every accolade he's garnered this entire awards season.

Bridges plays Bad Blake - a grizzled, broken down, hard-living alcoholic country singer whose career has seen better days. As directed by Scott Cooper from his screenplay of the novel by Thomas Cobb, Bad is a wretched, shambling shell of a man/musician. Driving himself across the Southwest from one crap gig to another, creeping onto stage two minutes into the hit, drunken and unrehearsed, his reputation precedes him. Bad has no qualms whatsoever with exiting the stage in the middle of a tune to go barf in the alley behind whatever saloon/bowling alley his waste of an agent has booked him in. Bad's character is based on an amalgam of Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. His "outlaw" life is an endless series of travel and performances to and from these watering holes. But make no mistake, Bad is not entirely without charm. Night after night he can usually find cheap, easy companionship in the form of some old chippie barfly ready and willing to take her turn with his former legend. These women probably wouldn't be as eager to do this with any other 57-year-old coot, broke, overweight, trembling from D.T.s, and reeking of boilermakers, ashtrays and spew, but hey - that's the showbiz. Performing all of his own vocals, Bridges' work is so strong and authentic; I simply lost the actor when watching him. He's done the musician thing before in The Fabulous Baker Boys and he obviously mastered the comically lumbering wastoid in The Big Lebowski. Bridges' Bad Blake is head and shoulders above even these fine portrayals.

Bad's story is not in any way unique but it is set within a framework that allows the actors to tell the story well. He meets a lovely journalist and mother named Jean (Maggie Gyllenhall) and through his relationship with her, he realizes he wants more and needs to clean up his act in order to get it. Gyllenhall is winning, sweet and sexy in this film and it is so refreshing to see the smile Bad is able to put on her face from time to time. Of course he's too old and wretched for her, but watching them both tread nervously towards love is still tenderly fulfilling in a bittersweet way. In the worst-kept secret in Hollywood, Colin Farrell appears as Tommy Sweet, a C/W star who was mentored by Bad, but became rich and famous while Bad was left behind. Farrell also sings all his own vocals and his Tommy leaves a light yet indelible mark on the film. There are uncomfortable moments where Tommy can't even look Bad in the eye. His embarrassment over what Bad has become and what Tommy continues to owe him prevents him from doing so. The expectation is that Tommy would perhaps be an untalented hack and probably a douche, but fortunately for the sake of originality, he is neither. The lines have begun to appear on Tommy's face, the road taking its toll on him as well. Aside from success, the only true differences between Tommy and Bad are the choices they made.

Robert Duvall (a producer on this film along with Bridges) makes a late and appreciated entrance into the film playing Wayne, a been-there-done-that saloon owner in recovery. He's a good friend to Bad, supplying sage advice and a standing gig on the rare occasions that Bad is home. At one moment, Wayne sings a beautifully simplistic song about father and sons which also plays over the end titles (Live Forever). In that moment I realized that ultimately, this film is all about fathers and sons - identifying each other and themselves, attempting connection and reconciliation and the redemption they achieve in the effort.

It would be remiss of me to not mention the marvelous soundtrack. Produced by T-Bone Burnett (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), the combination of original tunes that serve as Bad Blake's repertoire provide not just a genuine tone, but work to further the storytelling as the songs being performed more often than not comment on the exact action taking place. "Hold On You" which plays like a sexy, smoky plea for love, could easily be Bad's plaintive wail to the difficulty of staying in a business that doesn't seem to have a place for him anymore. Interspersed with old country classics by Kitty Wells and Waylon Jennings, the music here is another character in and of itself. Best among this lovely collection is probably Ryan Bingham's "The Weary Kind" which could and should win this season's Academy Award for Best Original Song.

There's no reason to not just run out and embrace the little jewel that is Crazy Heart. Great performances, wonderful music all wrapped around a simple story that we've all seen before for sure, but who cares when the story is performed this well? To try to find something innately negative to say about it would just be an exercise in contrariness. Merely writing about it now makes me want to go out and see it again. The movie is that good and Bridges playing Bad is just that great.