Cinema Nova, 22/02/2010
Status: Behind, as usual
If you don’t want to hear about any specifics of this film, block you ears and skip to the second paragraph. Done that? Right. There’s a scene, right at the start of Crazy Heart where washed up country-rock singer Bad Blake (JEFF BRIDGES) arrives at his next gig. It’s a bowling alley. Jeff Bridges at a bowling alley. Me and the other Big Lebowski fans in the cinema all burst out laughing. It was a lovely moment. Unfortunately, it’s one that I couldn’t shake for the rest of the film (which is definitely NOT The Big Lebowski).
Although this is a well told story, it feels a little bit like they’ve just made it for themselves. Everyone involved is in love with old school county/rock and believes Kris Kristofferson is the World’s Greatest Everything. There’s a real reverence for the collective story of the genre and it’s aging (and rehabbing) stalwarts. But it all feels very very familiar. Jeff Bridges is so comfortable in the skin of washed up Bad Blake that it reminded me of watching Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (but swap a guitar in for the lycra pants). Point is, if you’re playing yourself, it’s not really acting is it?
COLIN FARREL pops in for a few scenes with even worse hair than he had in Alexander or Miami Vice (I didn’t think it was possible either), but his performance is solid. As are those of MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL (Adaptation) and ROBERT DUVAL (Tender Mercies). While the film is solid enough, it’ll probably only appeal to fans of one or all of the ingredients - the actors, the old school country stars or the music - it’s not a film that’s going to change anyone’s mind.
