CRAZY HEART: REVIEW

CRAZY HEART is a quiet, beautiful film. It has Jeff Bridges in his finest hour, playing Bad Blake, a musician who use to be somebody and now is a nobody who plays bowling alleys and bars. He's still given free hotel rooms and food by the people who run the bowling alleys, but no free booze. You see, it's a specific clause in his contract: No Tabs at the bar.

That doesn't stop Bad Blake from getting free booze. Not in the ways you think. And yeah, he's a drunk, but not in the way you think. He doesn't make big scenes. He stumbles off stage during a gig, vomits, sits, then goes back and finishes the set. It ain't pretty, but as he mumbles, "Bad Blake's never missed a gig." Bad Blake also pretty much survives by writing music for Tommy (Colin Farrell singing country, yes, Colin Farrell), who used to be his pupil and is now selling out country arenas. Ah, well.

CRAZY HEART is pretty much WALK THE LINE, only it feels more real than WALK THE LINE, which is interesting when because WALK THE LINE is based on a true story and CRAZY HEART is fiction. But CRAZY HEART feels more like how it would really happen with the story of the washed up alcoholic genius singer/songwriter who might get it right this time. Because alcoholics either get worse or they get better. The problem is, of course, not exactly when they get worse, because if they get worse, they get worse. The problem is, even when they get better, it doesn't mean that life waits around to greet them with a smile when they get out of rehab.

I'm making the film sound like an epic downer. It isn't. CRAZY HEART has a lot of sorrow, but also a lot of humor and truth. And what sorrow there is wistful sorrow, the better kind of sorrow. Better because wistful is more interesting, at least to me. The idea of "Ah, well..." has a lot more gas in the tank than "Oh, no" or the ever popular "Why me, Lord?"

There's a lot of nice touches and little twists on this well-worn story. Yes, Blake meets a girl (Maggie Gyllenhaal) with a son, but there's more to her than you would think. Yes, Tommy has bypassed Blake in popularity, but he's actually a nice guy; who often gives credit to Blake and offers to cut an album with him. Yes, Blake has an old friend who looks after him (Robert Duvall), but he's not an enabler or a lecturer, he's a bartender who knows well the risks and rewards of booze. Yes, Blake's alcoholism leads to disaster, but not in obvious, scene-causing ways. Blake's biggest mistake, when it finally comes, could really happen to anyone. The problem is, it happens to him right after he's ordered a double whiskey at lunchtime.

There's a scene between Blake and his bartender in a fishing boat where they discuss mistakes. Listen to the dialogue. Blake has a son that he's never seen in years, who he finally called, and the call didn't go well. Blake thinks that his own gesture is too little, too late. Bartender disagrees: "For 25 years, you stepped wrong, and you were wrong, and he was right. But now you've stepped right, and he's in the wrong, and you're in the right." Blake isn't sure. Bartender is. The point is which of them is right, the point is it's an actual discussion.

Nothing much happens in CRAZY HEART. Nothing much has to, when you have actors this good, writing this good and amazing original music, produced by T Bone Burnett. It never steps wrong, never sounds a false note, and actually takes the time to let you listen to the music. Let me be clear: nothing really happens in this movie. Sure, interesting characters live, breathe, change and think; but there's no epic romance or plot twists or plot, really. If it sounds boring, well, I can't help you, but I can warn you. Me, I found myself caring deeply about what happened to this washed up old man.

There was a movie released in 2006 called ONCE, about an irish singer songwriter and the girl that makes him want to be a better man. But no real plot to speak of. CRAZY HEART is the country version of ONCE. That's not just high praise, it's the truth. And I don't even like country music.

RATING: * * * * * (out of 5 Stars)

P.S. The soundtrack is mostly original songs sung by Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell. It's really, really good. Really.