Review of Crazy Heart (2009) by Paul P — 17 Dec 2011

A solid drama that draws heavily on it's terrific casting.

Ultimately, the story itself is pretty light weight, as we follow Bad Blake drinking around the US as he plays gigs in crummy lilttle bars forging a relationship with a journalist who may just bring him back into the real world.

Ultimately this film succeeds because of it's cast. Gyllenhaal is a lovely presence in the film and Duvall also makes the most of his brief time on screen. The most intriguing element of the film is the relationship between Bad Blake and Farrell's Tommy Sweet. There is a clear history between them and I would have liked to have seen that aspect explored in more detail. Up front Bridges is dependably great, did he deserve an oscar for his work here is another question altogether (arguably he should have won a couple of times over for his work in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and the Big Lebowski of course). When looking at his body of work, this is not the character that he will be remembered for. Don't get me wrong though, this is great work and I'm jazzed that he got it.

Overall, this is a lovely little film with some great music but it misses out on genuine greatness.