Crazy Heart

The harder the life, the sweeter the song.

Washed-up country star Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is drinking too much and tries to avoid thinking about lost opportunities, but when he’s interviewed by a reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) he gets another chance. Scott Cooper’s directing debut is not unlike the previous year’s The Wrestler ; the locations are equally shabby and the lead character is a broken, lonely, alcoholic entertainer who used to be somebody. Bridges based his outstanding performance on several real-life country stars and whenever the plot moves in a predictable way, the cast still keeps these characters real. T-Bone Burnett also makes sure the music is engagingly true to the genre.

2009-U.S. 111 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Robert Duvall, Scott Cooper, T-Bone Burnett, Rob Carliner, Judy Cairo. Written and directed by Scott Cooper. Novel: Thomas Cobb. Song: “The Weary Kind” (T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham). Cast: Jeff Bridges (Bad Blake), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock), Robert Duvall (Wayne), Colin Farrell, Beth Grant, Tom Bower.

Trivia: Co-executive produced by Bridges, who along with Farrell does his own singing.

Oscars: Best Actor (Bridges), Original Song. Golden Globes: Best Actor (Bridges), Original Song.