Review of Crazy Heart (2009) by Emmanuel S — 30 Jan 2011

I read a review recently that described Crazy Heart as "predictable" and that is certainly one way to look at this film. It isn't that this story hasn't been told before (it certainly has), but it is in the way that it is told and performed by the actors in the film.

Which is magnificently, by the way. Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake is a given--but Colin Farrell had me believing that he was a red-blooded American country singer! I thoroughly enjoyed the music in this film--it's not mainstream radio country music (pop music with a twang)--it's an ode to country music's roots--influenced by the blues, among other things.

I woke up this morning and couldn't stop humming, "Fallin' & Flyin'". The negative? I can see why they cast Maggie Gyllenhaal, she's a terrific actress, but man she's hard to look at (read: her face is busted).

I actually had to watch the movie in parts because it was becoming physically painful for me to watch her on the screen...other than that--go watch this movie! Worth the rental!