Title · no scrobbles indexed yet

Crazy Heart

The first scrobble for this title is still propagating, but a community review is already indexed below.

Reviews

Longform community posts about this title

Film Review: Crazy Heart (2009)@drax595d

(source: tmdb.org)

Jeff Bridges has long been celebrated as one of Hollywood's most versatile and talented actors, a reputation he has cultivated over nearly five decades. His formidable career culminated in an Oscar for Best Actor, a recognition that felt almost inevitable given his extensive body of work. However, considering the recent trends in award ceremonies, it is worth noting that Crazy Heart, the 2009 musical drama that earned him this accolade, is not particularly groundbreaking in its narrative or execution.

Scott Cooper, who wrote and directed Crazy Heart, made his directorial debut with this film, adapting it from Tom Cobb's 1987 novel. Bridges takes centre stage as Otis "Bad" Blake, a 57-year-old country music singer whose life and career have seen better days. Once a promising star, Bad now finds himself performing in small bars across the Southwestern United States, struggling to make ends meet. His past is marred by failed marriages and estrangement from his oldest son, largely due to his rampant alcoholism. This addiction looms over his life like a dark cloud, threatening to cut his journey short. Bad’s life begins to change after he meets Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young journalist eager to write about him. Their relationship develops as Bad attempts to assume a fatherly role for Jean’s four-year-old son, Buddy (played by Jack Nation). This newfound connection serves as a catalyst for Bad's desire to quit drinking and turn his life around.

Despite its themes of redemption and personal struggle, Crazy Heart does not present itself as an especially ambitious film. It is unsurprising that it was produced by Country Music Television and initially intended for direct-to-video release. The screenplay written by Cooper does not venture into uncharted territory; the story of a musician at the end of his career seeking redemption is one that has been explored extensively in cinema. A notable comparison can be drawn with Tender Mercies (1983), where Robert Duvall, who is one of the producers of Crazy Heart and appears in the role of Bad’s friend, won an Oscar for portraying a character strikingly similar to Bad Blake.

What ultimately distinguishes Crazy Heart is Jeff Bridges' performance. He embodies Bad Blake with such authenticity that audiences cannot help but empathise with this deeply flawed character. Bridges' ability to evoke sympathy for someone so self-destructive is remarkable and undoubtedly deserving of the Oscar he received. His portrayal captures the essence of a man grappling with his demons while yearning for connection and redemption.

While the supporting cast includes solid performances—most notably from Gyllenhaal and Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet, a successful singer who owes much of his career to Bad's earlier mentorship—they inevitably remain overshadowed by Bridges' commanding presence. Gyllenhaal delivers a commendable performance; however, her chemistry with Bridges falters at times, making their age-difference romance less convincing than intended.

The film also features a soundtrack that could have elevated its emotional resonance further. The inclusion of “The Weary Kind,” which won an Oscar for Best Original Song, adds some depth; however, appreciation for this aspect may largely depend on one's affinity for country music. As such, this film may appeal primarily to a relatively niche audience rather than reaching broader demographics. At the end of the day, Crazy Heart is a decent film that is primarily noteworthy for Jeff Bridges' performance.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo

Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7 BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Permalink·Open on PeakD ↗·Linked from existing Hive post

Comments

No comments yet — be the first.

2 more reviews

›Crazy Heart - Movie Review@coldsteem2723d

Imagine a film where a washed up entertainer has an opportunity for a swan song. This entertainer has a strained relationship with a lady friend, serious personal issues and a non-existent relationship with his adult child. No, I'm not talking about The Wrestler or A Star is Born, although those correlation came to mind while I was watching. I am talking about Jeff Bridges' phenomenal performance in Crazy Heart. I liked The Wrestler, Crazy Heart does the concept better.

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) still performs. At fifty-seven years old, the country music legend has resorted to playing bowling alleys and hunky-tonks. His protege, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) has morphed with country music and is still selling out concert halls. While Sweet tours with a fleet of modern tour buses, the time-bitten Blake tours in his ancient Silverado. Blake gives us a clue what rock-bottom looks like. Blake's luck takes a turn for the better when he is interviewed by a cute reporter, Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who takes a liking to his country charm.

As a relationship buds between Blake and Craddock, Blake's music returns. There is a tender scene where Blake is playing his guitar on Craddock's bed. Blake asks her if she remembers it. When she indicates that she can't remember where she heard it, Blake tells her that he just wrote it. Craddock indicates that it sounded like she knew it. "The good ones always do," is Blake's charming response. Craddock is amazed and upset at the way the music simply comes out of Blake, an indication that she once struggled to create without success. But Craddock's emotion isn't anger or jealousy...it is fear. She fears that she will lose Blake, that she will have to listen to a song written on her bed and Blake will forget where the song came from. It forms the start to a relationship destined to fail.

Blake has some demons to exorcise, but they don't seem to be the obvious ones. His relationships and music are consistent, whether good or bad. But his alcoholism is going to kill him or hurt people around him. Crazy Heart never explains why Blake separated ways with Tommy Sweet, but does give some indication that it was actually Sweet who left the duo to save his marriage. So it doesn't appear that booze brought Blake down. But one thing is certain, once Blake got down, booze was certain to show him where the bottom was.

The problem with films that concentrate on issues like alcoholism is the temptation to slip into stereotypes or to score cheap points with cliche. I was expecting to see Crazy Heart slip into the same rut, but was pleasantly surprised to see the film zig when I thought it would zag. It worked for me. Director Scott Cooper adapted the screenplay from a novel written by Thomas Cobb. Although there were parallels with The Wrestler, this film was genuine and unique. The characters studies, dialogue and decisions regarding the actions of the characters were all carefully measured. The writing created an exceptional platform upon which Jeff Bridges could deliver yet another award winning performance.

Acting. Both Bridges and Gyllenhaal were nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance. Bridges won. The chemistry between the two was credible, which enhanced each of their performances. Bridges had a Kris Kristofferson thing going in this film. He looks the part of an old-school country singer and brings a crotchety crustiness to his role that has to be seen to fully appreciate. Gyllenhaal creates balance for Bridges' character as a sweet, injured romantic. The two are surrounded by some Hollywood powerhouses like Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell. However, the heart in Crazy Heart is shared between the two exceptional leads who easily carry this film.

I don't normally spend much time talking about movie soundtracks because I don't want to expose my musical ignorance. Crazy Heart presents an exception. Country music is last on my list of listening preferences. I do, however, enjoy Blues, which shares a common ancestry with many music genres. Early country, like the type portrayed in Crazy Heart, was infused with Blues music. Bad Blake quotes a Blues musician or two among his early inspirations, along with several other Blues inspired country musicians. Some of the original music in Crazy Heart shared that Blues influence, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Some of the music was less appealing to me. I should also mention that Bridges performs the music in this film and surprised me with his talent. Although I would not be inclined to purchase a Jeff Bridges' album, I was delighted to see him lend his voice to the music. This film also won an Oscar for the song The Weary Kind.

Crazy Heart is yet another film that has baffled me when it comes to the MPAA. The film deals with the subject of alcoholism, contains some strong language and a few brief sensual scenes that are tastefully presented without nudity. Okay, we see a hand beginning to slip into the panties...but that is probably the most questionable scene in the film. I would not object to allowing children to see this film. No nudity, brief sexuality, language and alcohol, all contextual...all tastefully handled. Run time is one hour, 52 minutes.

Crazy Heart reached me. The film picks up a washed up singer who has hit rock bottom and dusts him off. It was rewarding, simplistic and straight-forward. It was symbolic, tender and original. It was a country music song. The performances in Crazy Heart were worthy of the awards they received (and the nominations that didn't win). The screenplay avoids cliche. The film tugs at your heart strings and makes you laugh, balancing the drama with humor and topping it off with a happy (but not corny or predictable) ending. What's not to like? 8.5/10.

Trailer and images subject to copyright.

Permalink·Open on PeakD ↗·Linked from existing Hive post
›Crazy Heart: Jeff Bridges is more than just Lebowski@gooddream2962d
Don't get me wrong; the Big Lebowski is one of my favorite films ever. However, this film proved (to me and many others) that Jeff Bridges is a truly wonderful actor and he won (and deserved to win) the best actor Oscar for his performance in this movie.

If you haven't seen this movie yet maybe take a break from the internets for a couple of hours and have a look because it is really something else. You don't need to like country music to appreciate it, that just happens to be the motif of the film. I had NO IDEA that Jeff Bridges could sing at all but according to him, he does all the vocals in the film himself and he does a really really good job of it.

The story follows "Bad Blake," a washed up country star as he tours and travels more and more horrible gigs trying to make a living and the demons he faces on a regular basis as his stardom fades with time. His alcoholism and addiction to being a big star that once was gets the best of him on a regular basis.

I think the main reason why I like it so much is because the music is actually very good and the story is a magnificent tale of getting older and not being entirely willing / capable of dealing with it and this is clearly the case with Bridges' character.

As someone who isn't exactly a "spring chicken" myself, i can relate to this, and the struggle is real. This clip is from when Colin Farell's character Tommy Sweet (who is a current-day country music star in the film, and much younger, invited Bad Blake to open up for him) shows the ability of both of them. They obviously lip-synced for the filming but apparently both of them actually recorded for the soundtrack.
*pretty catchy song, don't you think?*
The entire story is tragic as it begins and carries on with Blake (Jeff Bridges) really being down on his luck and having a difficult time accepting that he is a has-been. It shows him playing at horrible gigs and not generally being recognized as the talent he clearly is and at least for me it invited the question of whether or not Blake is his own worst enemy, as many of us tend to be in life.

The soundtrack matches the movie and the tracks are just incredible and stand on their own merit. When Bridges won the Oscar for best actor in 2010 I applauded because I felt as though he truly deserved it because this movie shows how amazing a performer he really is. He is an incredible artist as an actor and now, due to this film, we know that he is also quite a good singer as well (plus he can play guitar.)

The film trailer doesn't really tell you much about what the movie's plot is and perhaps that was their intent. However, it gets the job done.
courtesy of Fox Searchlight
Seriously, go watch this movie right now... and if you don't have time for that at least listen to "Brand New Angel," which is a song from the movie that moves me to this day.

Permalink·Open on PeakD ↗·Linked from existing Hive post