Super Frat

Crazy Heart is a slow, nuanced, “arty” movie about a non-arty subject: country music.  Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blade, an aging country music star whose career is fading faster than his liver.  He lives kind of like a hobo, playing tiny clubs stuck behind bowling alleys and banging audience members. He meets Maggie Gyllenhaa, AKA: Jane, single mom and news reporter.  The two fall in love, but it’s clear Blake doesn’t have his shit together.

The movie is good, but very slow.  Almost boring.  Almost.  The country music keeps the movie moving and it’s not too bad.  (This from someone who hates country music.)  Ultimately, something is missing from the film.  The cast is solid, the direction is there.  Robert Duvall plays the buddy that wants to get Blake Sober.  Colin Ferrel is the apprentice guitar player who is now the big star.

One scene will make you say, “Oh, shit!  He messed up!” but the rest of it kind of just resolves itself.  Plus, after a nice slow and steady pace, the wrap up begins with jumping to 16 months later.  Kind of abrupt after such a slow and steady pace.  No nudity from Maggie G, but there is a scene where Jeff Bridges begins to put his hand down her panties to fingerbang her, but the camera cuts away.  (Thanks a lot camera.)

I’d give Crazy Heart 6 out of 10 keggers.  If you like country music or want to see a really nuanced performance, you’re definitely going to like it.  You can see it’s an Oscar-worthy movie.  It’s a little too slow for me.  Not enough vampires or robots trying to kill the main character.  If you like that kind of movie, I’d say theater, otherwise, DVD.