Review: Crazy Heart

I usually try to not to go into a film with any expectations, because it makes it harder for the film to live up to them. I have to admit though that I really wanted to see Crazy Heart, not just due to the Oscar hype, but because I really like Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal and usually enjoy their work. I'm also a fan of music-based dramas, so I was interested to see if this movie could live up to those as well.

In Crazy Heart, Bridges plays an aging, struggling country music star named "Bad" Blake, who's fallen on hard times and is reduced to playing shows in small venues like bars and bowling alleys. Down on his luck, fighting alcoholism and struggling to stay relevant, Blake also has to deal with the fact that his former protegé has surpassed him to become a huge country music star (played by Colin Farrell, in a surprising role). Finding himself at a crossroad in life, Blake meets a reporter and single mother (Gyllenhaal) whom he connects with and her son. The question ultimately becomes can Blake fight his inner demons enough to turn his life around, or will he continue to waste his life and talent away?

Bridges does a pretty convincing job portraying a country singer. His singing in the film wouldn't be considered amazing, but it's more than capable and he's believable in the role, as he definitely looks the part. Bridges also does a good job of making "Bad" Blake a sympathetic character. This speaks to the talent of Bridges, who can give almost any character real heart and charm. No matter how bad things are going for him or how much he's screwed up his own life, you still root for Bad to turn his life around in the end. Considering that he did all of his own singing and vocals for the film, it's an even more impressive performance.

Gyllenhaal plays a familiar role as the strong and supportive-yet-independent girlfreind, but gives the character depth and keeps her from turning into a cliché. Colin Farrell also does a surprisingly adequate job as Bad's former protegé, Tommy Sweet. Unlike most characters we see in films like this, Sweet isn't a villain or totally heartless, and still has respect and compassion for his former mentor, which is nice to see.

While the actors give really strong performances, the problem with the movie is that the story is so clichéd that you can pretty much predict what will happen throughout the film. The performances are still worth watching, but anyone expecting an amazing story or intriguing plot will be disappointed. While the music in the film is decent and believable, it doesn't hold up to films like Walk The Line or Ray, which of course were based on real musicians. But if you're a Jeff Bridges fan like myself then you'll probably enjoy the film anyway, but it not's not very memorable afterwards.