Crazy Heart is one of those films which feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Watching the film I couldn't help but feel as though I had seen this film, or this type of film; about an aging musician (artist) struggling with some form of addiction whilst trying to get his career back on track. In this way Crazy Heart is something of a dissapointment. It never attempts to offer a new slant, or element of originality into an overly familiar sub genre. What it does, and does well, is use a great cast and some great performances to create a film which is uplifting and entertaining, but mainly because you are watching Jeff Bridges, and not just the actor, but elements of the characters he has played over his career. This is like a 2 hour love letter to the fans of Jeff Bridges, of which I am one. Throw in Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall and you can't help but enjoy the experience, even if Farrell and Duvall feel criminally underused. Add to this the always watchable and usually magnificent Maggie Gyllenhaal and Crazy Heart becomes one of the easiest films to watch in recent years. This however is as much a credit as a criticism. The film is pitched at the middle of the road, never commiting to addressing the issues ot alcoholism and how damaging it is. In fact for all of the plaudits Bridges has received he is never required to do anything you knew he could do already. The same is true of Gyllenhaal who never feels stretched. It's a film which had it not been for the cast, would probably have fallen into obscurity and not received the critical attention it deserves.Having said that, there are many commendable elements to the film beyond the cast. Scott Cooper, in a directorial debut gives the film a beautiful look and draws out some strong performances from those all around, and having written the script as well, also does a fairly good job but the real quality lies in the music, composed by T-Bone Burnett, who worked on O Brother Where Art Thou.
Ultimately this film feels like a vehicle for Jeff Bridges and its thanks to him that the film is so enjoyable even if there is never any sense that he will be in serious trouble and his career will be permanently derailed. It's also no surprise to learn that before Fox Searchlight picked it up it was due to be released as a straight to video.
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