Crazy Heart (2009)

During the end credits, I was surprised to see CRAZY HEART was based on a novel because it comes across as a formulaic Hollywood film. Burnt out, boozed up, gone to seed 50ish artist (he’s a singer/songwriter) at the end of the line is redeemed by a beautiful young woman, young enough to be his daughter. Yawn. If Jeff Bridges wins an Oscar for this, it will be a career Oscar because his performance, while more than decent, is of the been there, seen that variety. The ghost of TENDER MERCIES hovers around the film so it comes as quite a shock when Robert Duvall shows up halfway in the movie. Colin Farrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Oscar nominated for the wrong 2009 movie) are solid in underwritten roles. The best part of the film is the music. Not because they’re great songs. They’re good enough but they have an authenticity to them and Bridges and Farrell sing them with authority.