“Continuing the previously mentioned trend for the weekend, we’ve got Crazy Heart. You know, its The Wrestler except instead of Mickey Rourke playing a washed up wrestler who has an estranged kid and a thing with Marissa Tomei, you’ve got Jeff Bridges played a washed up country singer who has an estranged kid and a thing with Maggie Gyllenhaal. No really, on some fronts they’re the same movie. But on others, they’re different, and I’ll stop the comparison here by saying that I felt Crazy Heart was far superior.
Ultimately, this film was just putting Jeff Bridges on display hoping for Oscar nod #5 and win #1, and he’s got a damn good shot at it. Yes, this was the classic Oscar bait role with your guy at the end of his rope hitting rock bottom and trying to claw his way back up. However, the one thing that I felt made this role step away from the cliche is that he really was a sympathetic character. You prolly would like to hang out with him, as opposed to just observing him or at best taking him on as a charity case.
And just wanna go on record for saying that Maggie Gyllenhaal is another fave of mine. Has been since I first saw Criminal. Short tangent on that, I remember having one of the worst weekends ever and then Criminal was playing at LSC at MIT. For lack of anything better to do, I shuffled over there in pj’s and my South Park Timmy slippers carrying my stuffed alien Marty and a bunch of tissues (again, really bad weekend) and I left there feeling like everything was okay, as cliche as that sounds.
Heart Collin Farrell as well. Im not sure how much I buy him as country, but he played the superstar quite well, and eventually won me over there. But that long hair has gotta go. As much as I love long hair on guys, it doesnt work on him.
The gripe for this movie (cause I always gotta have at least one) is that I didnt buy the relationship between Bridges’ and Gyllenhaal’s characters. I can see why he fell for her, and I could get her falling for him eventually, but it was too fast which gave it a really forced feeling (I know I use forced a lot to describe these sortsa things). But on the other side of the spectrum, there was a big event towards the end that did have me on the edge of my seat (yeah I use that phrase a lot too). Wont spoil it, but definitely added something a bit more unique that was quite effective.
Anyways, if youre one of those like me who hafta see the major players in the Academy Awards, this is definitely one not to miss
Crazy Heart – \m/ \m/ \m/