Jeff Bridges was so scuzzy in 'Crazy Heart'. He was so sweaty, so raw, so natural, that you could just about smell him on the screen where he portrays a character named 'Bad Blake' (what he thought of himself), a talented but end-of-career boozy country singer, playing one night stands (in more ways than one) in dingy bars, even in a bowling alley, who falls in love too late in his troubled life.
I don't know if Jeff Bridges will get a best actor Oscar for his performance this year, considering the competition in his category & the politics of such awards, but his performance was exceptional. He seems to get better every time I see him on the screen.
Bridges seem to slip in and out of this kind of role with great ease. Whether this is because he has become one of those exceptional character actors or because it's just so close to his own personality is hard for me to know. John Wayne always played John Wayne -- even in 'True Grit' when he was probably at his best.
In any case, I would definitely recommend spending the $8 on 'Crazy Heart'. It's a touching film with a meaty role for 'Bad' even though the very end was a bit too 'packaged' for me.
Others in the cast include Robert Duvall, Maggie Gyllenhaal & Colin Farrell -- all of whom play convincing roles as they touch the life of "Bad Blake" aka Otis (I forgot his last name).
Happy Valentine's Day.
Very good movie, great performance.
ReplyDeleteThis bookends one of Mr. Bridge's first performances as a boxer in the great John Huston's "Fat City". You could see that guy becoming Bad Blake 40 years down the road.