"The Dude imbibes."
To round out the 2009 film year, we saw Jeff Bridges' latest showing "Crazy Heart" last night downtown. And, as of right now, from where I was looking, Bridges is a tie with Colin Firth for best male performance of the year. Like "The Wrestler" last year — without all that deification and God-complexity — Bridges handed in a contrived yet competent and captivating performance about a ex-star struggling with life. Jeff Bridges was Bad Blake (awooo!), and you won't forget him. The rest of the movie? Well, I don't like country music anyway...
Taking the standard tropes of genius tainted by substance abuse and age, Bad Blake is a Waylon Jennings-style country singer just trying desperately to make the rounds at tiny gigs in the Southwest. Along the way, Blake reflects of age, past wives, lost kids, late failure, his inability to quite smoking and drinking and about a dozens other cliches of the troubled man genre. Yup, he's another tragic alch-y middle ager. But damnit, Bridges sure is in tune with the old dog Blake. This is Jeff Bridges film, and that's what keeps you fascinated.
Coupla notes: The film is good, simple as that. Bridges made it better.
- Jeff Bridges, the actor Janet Maslin once claimed never shows his ego, can keep doing solid by that claim. Jeff Bridges is a handsome, energetic and talented actor. The best of accidental nepotism. Bridges has always had this ability to take a moment, scene, character, whatever the part, and make you want to watch it. His Bad Blake is simple to understand — he's an addict who's had to much to deal with in life. But, the way Bridges interprets Blake — undone pants and perpetual smoke — makes you care. And best of all, Bad Blake is character is a person with a shred of optimism, seldom seen in one man shows like this.
- If Bridges gets that fifth nomination, and maybe even his first Oscar ... I'd be alright with that.
- Scott Cooper is first time filmmaker, and does nothing too terribly exciting. He wrote, produced and directed this sucker just fine. Blake's problems are neither exploitative nor too soft to make a point. The perfectly focused horizon lines of the Southwest make fine first timer compositions. And Cooper has an easy ear and eye for people that are either worried about their problems, or too proud to admit to problems. In short, I'd love to see more films from Cooper.
- Paramount must be kicking themselves over this. Lis said it doesn't matter because it won't be too profitable. But Oscars? Soundtracks? It might just pervade the popular atmosphere, and then where's messiah Lis/Paramount? I'm glad this wasn't put on CMT. I shudder to think...
- Get the song "Weary Kind" by Ryan Bingham. T Bone, the film's music supervisor, makes country tolerable for an ol' Slicker like me.
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