BY ISAAC HAN

In print | Published February 4, 2010

Getting the chance to reconcile with oneself and take control of one’s life can never come too late in life. Such is the case in “Crazy Heart,” an adaptation of a novel with the same name by Thomas Cobb, directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake, a down and out-of-luck country-western musician whose songs are more nostalgically legendary than popular or well-known by the masses.

We first see Bad Blake on a very modest tour as he drives from town to town in his old truck playing his old catchy tunes, based on his life experiences, for small audiences in bowling alleys and bars, consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol in the process. McClure’s whiskey is his trademark drink of choice and he continuously drinks himself to the brink of death to cope with the failures and troubles that he has experienced throughout life.

Then McClure arrives in Sante Fe where he meets Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhall, the niece of the owner of the bar at which he performs. Jean is an aspiring music journalist who is hoping to write a piece on him. His involvement with Jean and her four-year-old son, Buddy, and the love that he has for them give him another chance to take control of his life, after he loses Buddy at the mall when he stops for a drink. As a result of his experience, he goes to rehab for his alcohol addiction and learns to become a better person, all the while writing another grand masterpiece entitled “A Weary Kind,” which contains the lyrics “Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try,” that encapsulates the theme and message of the film.

The grand attraction of this film is the life that Jeff Bridges imbues into the character of Bad Blake. His performance is, in a word, masterful. Bad Blake comes to life on screen as not merely a character in a film but as the legendary, alcoholic musician himself. Bridges’ performance really draws the audience into the world of Bad Blake. The important aspect of Bad Blake is obviously his alcoholism, and Bridges skillfully delivers the most accurate performance of being drunk on screen that I’ve ever seen in a film. The way Bad Blake sways when he is drunk, stumbles to put his belt back on, or scrambles to get to a toilet or trash can to barf is not exaggerated but subtle and effortless.

Furthermore, Bridges does his own vocals aptly performing the songs written for the movie as if they were well-known classics. His vocals also match the scene, turning up the energy during the good gigs at huge venues or good bars and stumbling when he’s performing completely wasted at bowling alleys. Bridges performance is much deserving of the accolades it has received (i.e. Golden Globe Best Actor Musical/Comedy) and may receive in the future (Oscar?).

As a fan of the Coen brother’s classic “The Big Lebowski,” one thing that I was interested in seeing is how my perception of Jeff Bridges as being “the Dude” would skew my viewing of the movie. But I was impressed to see that Bad Blake was not reminiscent of “the Dude” or “El Duderino” (if you’re not into the whole “brevity thing”). Bridges is able to aptly separate himself from “his Dudeness.” It’s true that both characters are alcoholics that seem to stumble through a good part of the movie.

In addition, Crazy Heart seems to acknowledge “The Big Lebowski” in the opening scene when Bad Blake pulls up to a bowling alley, a place overtly frequented by “the Dude,” and scoffs at it, annoyed by the fact that he has to perform at such an unworthy venue. However, Bad Blake holds his own against “the Dude” as a troubled musician in need of sympathy as opposed to a proud and lazy, unemployed man who’s absurd existence is surpassed by the absurdity of the events happening to him. The fact that the two characters can be distinguished is a testament to the greatness of Bridges’ performance.
“Crazy Heart” features a great cast including Bridges, Gyllenhall, Robert Duvall, and Colin Farrell, as the country-western star, Tommy Sweet. The entire cast gives a solid performance to back the mildly heartwarming story of a broken-down legend of a man who needs a chance to regain his pride and glory. Thanks mainly to Bridges, who makes a return to the forefront of Hollywood, Crazy Heart is a great film with a powerful message of hope that the right chance and experience will come around eventually.

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