The movie is absolutely Jeff Bridges. He wins the audience's heart, even though his own is off kilter because hey, the music industry is crazy especially for those who are on a downward spiral and dare to combine loneliness with whiskey and years of irresponsible avoidance for what should really matter in life: friends, family, health, and a career.
Crazy Heart was the perfect vehicle for Bridges and with the accolades being tossed his way it's no wonder this child of Hollywood may run away with the best actor award. And he so deserves it. As Bad Blake, the quintessential on the road has-been, country singer, Bridges has created a character that would be him, sans a Hollywood father and life in Beverly Hills. One can't help but wonder is Blake his alter ego. Bridges does his own handy guitar pickin' and singin' to everyone's delight.
Even though the film is a pleasure to watch there are sad, dysfunctional moments that alcoholics painfully endure and, either get to the other side or not. Watching Bridges is amazing as he transforms into every thing he is not. Maybe that's why it was a hard movie to sell. Writer and Director Scott Cooper spent years searching for a major film company to buy the rights. He was turned down by every single one including Paramount, then with brilliance, Fox Searchlight took a chance. Taken from the Thomas Cobb novel, Bridges and his supporting cast of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duval and Colin Farrell take the film beyond good dialogue and character into a film the audience respects and cares about. Not many movies today reveal the raw side of humanity as these actors of such distinguished caliber do in this film.
From the moment Bridges empties his "water bottle" from his long drive through New Mexico, you know he's been bad for too long to get better without a good woman and good friends.
This undisputed real movie, Crazy Heart, has easily accomplished what the big guys didn't believe it would; it crossed over from a small core audience to a broad worldwide audience.
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