Sunday 3 October 2010

Crazy Heart

Movie Review: Crazy Heart (***1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 2009
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall

Plot outline: Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had too many marriages, too many years on the road and too many drinks. And yet, he can't help but reach for salvation with the help of a Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, he learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man's crazy heart (IMDb).

The story (***)
How the story unfolds (***1/2 the story and the songs are as strong as the headliner, even if it doesn’t appear so at first glance)
The characters (***1/2)
The dialogue (***1/2)
The acting (***1/2 Jeff Bridges gives a performance so good that lesser filmmakers would have let it consume the movie. Also starring an outstanding supporting cast that includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, and Robert Duvall.)

With the humble lyricism of a great country song, this understated drama from first-time director Scott Cooper aches with the spirit of musical roots.

Overall rating ***1/2 out of 4 stars

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