Without a doubt Jeff Bridges delivers his best performance in "Crazy Heart", but his performance can't save a listless and dramatic-less film. Certainly there are actors who can take mediocre scripts or films in general and lift them to new heights, but unfortunately for Jeff Bridges the film has too much going against it for him to even really have a chance. In the film, Bridges plays Bad Blake, an alcoholic and dirt old country singer who has seen his career go from the big time to playing in dinky bars and run down bowling alleys. As most "down on his/her luck" films go, "Crazy Heart" shows us a depleted man who has hit rock bottom and seemingly has no way out. Yet, also like most of those films, a character comes along that shakes up our protagonist for the better. In the case of Bridge's defamed singer, he meets and falls in love with Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young journalist who gives him the strength to resolve his inner demons and become a better man. From this resurrection of sorts, we as an audience are supposed to support Bad and his rehabilitation, as well as feel some sort of emotional jubilation once he overcomes the demons that once had him shackled.
Well, that never really happens when it's all said and done. Instead we're spoon fed cliché after cliché and don't get the requisite emotional pay off that we've come to expect from films like this. I guess the question becomes why is the film so flat? For one, as already alluded to, the film is based on a string of clichés. We know the story by now and most importantly, the film doesn't do anything fresh. Everything lines up the way we expect it to. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that for me, the relationship between Bad and Jean doesn't feel authentic. There are moments, but ultimately the issues between them lacks any resonance merely because I don't see these two people in love. Furthermore, which is far worse, I don't feel that they're in love. With this in mind, Bad's struggle to balance alcohol with love just feels fake and when he does overcome, we're too far down the line to be invested enough to completely care. This could be attributed just to the script, but it could also be placed upon the shoulders of director Scott Cooper whose direction just seems stale. This notion has nothing to do with flashy shots, but more with his lack of ability to create a sincere and sustaining scene.
Yet, a lot of admiration has to go to Bridges, who practically goes for broke in his Oscar winning performance. Whatever emotion and internal conflict this film can drum up simply comes from Bridges and his ability to not only show his character's strife, but also deliver winning musical performances. Accompanying Bridges is Gyllenhaal who also does a good job despite her accent flaring up from time to time. The two do an admirable job of trying to create some semblance of chemistry between one another, but these two solid actors can't completely pull it off. With that being said, if there is one thing that this film does perfectly, it would be the music. Now, I will never be confused with a country music fan, but the music within the film had me questioning my musical allegiances. Written and produced by T-Bone Burnett, the music is easy on the ears and pulls the right strings. If there was one thing that resonated more than Bridges, it would be the fantastic music. Unfortunately, I'm going to go ahead and stop my positive roll there and say that's where the positives end. What we have here is a film that could've been good despite its familiar bearings. But instead we get a film with a script devoid of honest conflict with direction that is pedestrian, and most of all the film lacks an emotional core. That's an awful lot of heavy lifting for Bridges to deal with. He tries amicably, but the burden is too big to bear.
