After four Oscar nominations, dating back to 1971’s The Last Picture Show, Jeff Bridges looks set to finally collect the coveted and thoroughly deserved gold statue for his turn as the hard-drinking, hard-living, hard-loving country singer Bad Blake in the gritty Crazy Heart. Bridges’ career is peppered with memorable characters ranging from the titular alien in John Carpenter’s Starman to the stoned slacker The Dude in the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski. In Blake, Bridges has added yet another indelible character, embodying fully every raw element of the gnarled central figure in this excellent adaptation of Thomas Cobb’s novel.
Crazy Heart is in some respect the musical equivalent of The Wrestler. The country and western circuit is littered with Bad Blakes, singers whose glory days are behind them, but who carry on, playing run down dumps to a handful of loyal fans. Written by Scott Cooper who makes an accomplished directorial debut, Crazy Heart possesses a similar blunt approach. Like Mickey Rourke, Bridges looks like he’s born for the role. Fully bearded, his flowing gray hair giving him a resemblance to Kris Kristofferson, he looks every inch the weathered country singer. He even possesses a similar gravelly voice to that of Kristofferson, adding authenticity to the film’s numerous musical scenes.
When we meet Blake, he pulls up outside a remote, ramshackle bowling alley in the beat-up car he spends his days travelling cross-country in. He pours a container full of piss on the dusty parking lot and heads inside for a drink. Alcohol is his best friend and worst enemy. Numerous wives have come and gone, but his whiskey has remained faithful. It helps him deal with his failing career and the loneliness of his nomadic life.
It’s a life that changes when he meets up with Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a single mother of a young boy Buddy (Jack Nation). Wary of his womanizing reputation, drinking and constant touring, Jean keeps Bad at arms length, but his charm and persistence wins her over. He sees Jean as his chance at a family life he’s never known and bonds with Buddy, assuming the fatherly role he never had with his own adult son. But growing up and breaking old habits are two very different things and Bad struggles with both.
Crazy Heart takes an unsentimental stance. It’s a character study of a flawed and talented man and reveals both sides in equal measure. Blake’s musical gifts are displayed via a selection of terrific original songs written by T-Bone Burnett and the late Stephen Bruton, to whom the film is dedicated.
Gyllenhaal hits the perfect note in her portrayal of Jean whose maternal instincts conflict with her emotional ones, and Colin Farrell does an admirable turn as country star Tommy Sweet whose success is owed to Bad. Robert Duvall brings a welcome warmth as Wayne, one of Bad’s few close friends, but it’s Bridges’ performance that makes Crazy Heart so consuming. He imbues Bad with a humanity and vitality that makes him both exasperating and endearing.
Kevin Murphy
