Crazy Heart is probably going to be remembered as the film that finally got Jeff Bridges an Oscar (38 years after his first nomination), but does it deserve to be remembered for more than that? It’s hard to imagine that this low-budget, unassuming portrait of a faded country star would find much of an audience outside of country music fans without him (and it’s debatable as to how much star-power Bridges has anyway).
Primarily the problem with Crazy Heart is that, unlike what its title suggests, the film is fairly devoid of drama and passion. Unusually the film is more interested in getting the specifics correct – musicians have detailed discussions on their favourite guitars and amps for example – than in providing dramatic interest or character motivation. While there are dramatic happenings they are fairly minor and rather predictable as Crazy Heart fits firmly into the tradition of films where a disillusioned and ageing man is given a new lease of life by finding a young, beautiful woman who loves him. Not that there’s anything wrong with predictability if the characters are strong enough, but as Bridges character Bad Blake is somewhat exasperating company, and the film is even quite reticent to go into the details of what makes him or many of the supporting characters tick, it does mean that Crazy Heart isn’t a particularly rewarding or satisfying experience.
As so much of the film revolves around Bridges, it’s good to note that he brings his usual laid-back charm to the film and he manages to perform Blake’s songs (which were also awarded with an Oscar) convincingly, should he decide to turn his back on his acting career it’s not inconceivable that he could pursue a career in music. The role also requires a lack of vanity and self-consciousness from him as he’s clearly had to pile on some pounds for the role, and spend much of the film wandering around with his shirt off acting like a drunkard, and he pulls this off well although it is unlikely that Bad Blake will rival his turns in films such as The Big Lebowski, Starman or The Last Picture Show in his fan’s affections. Elsewhere the performances are all solid if mostly in underwritten parts, Maggie Gyllenhaal in particular tries her best with a role that, despite offering a few witty lines, exists solely to be the level-headed love interest and muse for Blake. Like the script, the shooting style would be best described as functional and with so much of the film taking place on hot, dusty and deserted stretches of highway this end result has a soporific, repetitive quality. While in no respect is it a bad film, Crazy Heart is an unsubstantial one only really given any weight by Jeff Bridges’ presence and an authentic-sounding country music soundtrack.
