Thursday 1 December 2011

Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges won an Oscar for his performance in this film, beating Colin Firth (in a film I’m going to watch soon, for comparison). Bridges stars as ‘Bad’ Blake, a country singer whose career is falling apart as he struggles with alcoholism, whilst his former friend (Colin Farrell) becomes successful in his wake. It is not hard to predict that some one or thing will appear at the end of the first act to change his life. In this case it is Maggie Gyllenhaal, a single mother who wants to be a music journalist. She, as usual, is the most compelling presence in this film. Bridges is good but, as much as I do like him as an actor, there is nothing enthralling about his performance. He is not helped by the plot, which follows fairly ordinary lines. For UK viewers (or non-country music lovers in general) there is nothing that exciting about the world that we are thrust into. Bridges is to be admired for actually playing the guitar and singing, but that is technical ability, not acting brilliance. The film is little more than a slight, sensitive drama. The issues it raises are not engaged with or overcome. Whilst in film and literature we do enjoy bad things happening in the anticipation of a reversal or retribution, here it becomes unappealing as we watch for too long a talented man struggle through alcoholism. He is never really as desperate as he could’ve been, or as passionate in his high points. There are no great speeches. It is a tempered, moderate film, even if its ending is poignant and memorable.

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