Monday, March 8, 2010

Crazy Heart


I think after last night's Oscar's this film will get more attention. Hopefully it will linger in theaters a bit longer so you guys can get a chance to check it out. "Crazy Heart" really does ride on the shoulder's of Jeff Bridges. His performance as washed up country music star "Bad" Blake is charming, raw, nuanced and endearing... even when his character is a bit of a fuckup... His performance (and his costars) elevate the film above what could've been simply a cliche'd story or basic Movie-of-the-Week style character bit.

The supporting cast was also excellent. Maggie Gyllenhaal is superb, playing a woman probably burned a few times by men just like Blake, but she still can't help falling for him. Colin Farrell appears as Blake's former protege and successful country singer and Robert Duvall as Blake's best friend and bartender.

The cinematography is simple but nuanced, and the film seems to have been shot entirely on locations. The music (by T. Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham) is top-notch. I'm not a fan of country music but I've considered buying the soundtrack b/c I just loved old Bad Blake so much...lol.

"Crazy Heart" is this year's "The Wrestler"....

3 comments:

  1. I too enjoyed Crazy Heart more then I thought I would. The movie has such a simple style and grace to it. The music was indeed excellent. The acting was top notch, and I loved the Colin Farrell bit part.

    The feel for the movie takes you one way and then another at points, and I think the ending will suprise some people (it did for me). I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys "slow burn" type movies. I think John hit the nail on the head by comparing it to the "The Wrestler;" it is exactly that type of film, and a great one at that.

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  2. I have been wanting to see this since I read an article on Slashfilm about it. I'll have to check it out if it ever comes around here.

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  3. I finally got to see this movie this week. Being poor has really hindered my movie watching experiences and it finally came in on my Netflix que. I loved this movie. The simplicity of the movie could have made for a very boring experience, but the direction the director took and the editing really held it together at a decent pace throughout the whole film. After viewing this film, I really got a sense that this was the Director's pride and joy. I could imagine interviewing him and him stating that he could only be prouder of his son, or something cliche like that. The performances were top notch all the way around. I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone who cares about plots in films these days.

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