NMR: Crazy Heart

With Jeff Bridges having two prolific films out in theaters now (neither of which I've gotten a chance to see yet, grrr), I decided to check out the film that finally earned him a Best Actor Oscar last year, Crazy Heart. For the most part this is a paint-by-numbers tale of the degredation of fame. It's basically just like The Wrestler, only change the profession to country music singer. Thankfully though, what would have been a rote story is elevated thanks to Bridges' terrific performance. This is the type of role meant for him and you can see him relish in it. Playing Bad Blake, a musician who's knocking on death's door thanks to the years of booze and smoking, Bridges finds a way to still emit charm that not only engages his fans, but us viewers as well. It's easy to see why a young reporter (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) would be smitten with him despite his outward appearance and age disparity. While country music is not a genre I typically enjoy, the songs created for this film have a poignancy that make them instantly listenable. Credit to Colin Farrell, who takes on a low key role as a collaborator/friend of Blake's, who's star has now risen higher than Blake's ever did. Overall, this is a very charming movie, even if the story feels very familiar. I'm glad to see that Bridges got the recognition he did for this role because he was not only great here, but has had a terrific career playing multiple iconic roles. If you enjoy his work or if you're a country music fan, I'd definitely recommend checking this out. Rating: ****