|
Page 1 of 1
|
[ 5 posts ] |
|
| Author |
Message |
|
xiayun
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:41 pm
Posts: 25109
Location: San Mateo, CA
|
 Crazy Heart Crazy Heart Quote: Crazy Heart is a 2009 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. Jeff Bridges plays a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young journalist portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Other supporting roles are played by Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, and child actor Jack Nation. Bridges, Farrell, and Duvall also sing in the film.
The film's main character, Bad Blake played by Jeff Bridges, is based on a combination of Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard. The writer-director Cooper initially wanted to do a biopic on Haggard but found the rights to his life story were too difficult to obtain. The novel on which the film was based, was actually inspired by country singer Hank Thompson. Bridges earned the 2009 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
Filming took place during 2008 in New Mexico (Albuquerque, Galisteo, Santa Fe), in Houston, Texas, and in Los Angeles, California. Original music for the film was composed by T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton, Ryan Bingham and others. Bingham and Burnett received the 2009 Academy Award for Best Original Song for co-writing The Weary Kind, which Bingham also performed.
The film was produced for $7 million by Country Music Television, and was originally acquired by Paramount Vantage for a direct-to-video release, but was later purchased for theatrical distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures. It opened in limited release in the U.S. on December 16, 2009.
_________________Recent watched movies: American Hustle - B+ Inside Llewyn Davis - B Before Midnight - A 12 Years a Slave - A- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - A- My thoughts on box office
|
| Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:11 pm |
 
|
|
|
jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm
Posts: 12333
|
Re: Crazy Heart Crazy Heart is a strong drama piece even if many of its tools have been used in the past. The common plot of being an alcoholic and trying to change your life due to those around you has been played out constantly but I could actually care for the characters this time around. The always great Jeff Bridges doesn't lose a step at all in the lead role and although it is not quite the best of lead male roles in 2009, it is no doubt one worthy of a nomination. Maggie Gyllenhaal though does just as good of a job in her supporting role. She potrays the lover that knows what can happen with people like Bridge's character Bad Blake and does all she can to avoid reaching the feared end even though she gets caught in a bit of it. Her characters experiences many different changes but she makes it work. Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall also do a great job in their few scenes. The film can't be a true music film either without a strong soundtrack which the film succeeds in especially with the theme "The Weary Kind" which drives some bits of the film. Crazy Heart is a strong music drama in the end and if it wins some awards come Oscar time, they'll be well-deserved. ***1/2
|
| Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:13 pm |
|
|
|
Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am
Posts: 35245
Location: Minnesota
|
Re: Crazy Heart CRAZY HEART (2009)
A very solid, very straight-forward movie. There's really nothing special here, but it works due to the performances of Bridges and Gyllenhaal. Hell, I even enjoyed some of the music, and I'm not a fan of country music. "The Weary Kind" is great. All of the things it's getting recognized for are the best things about it.
Yes, this basically is "The Wrestler" with country music taking the place of wrestling, and it's certainly not as good, but it's very good in its own right.
Grade: 8/10 (B+)
|
| Fri Feb 12, 2010 4:25 am |
|
|
|
trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm
Posts: 19697
Location: ville-marie
|
Re: Crazy Heart It's nowhere near The Wrestler, to be sure. Bridges is good, but he's playing a washed-up alcoholic country singer - the stuff Oscar dreams are made of. At times it almost seems like The Dude played straight - and the movie has more than its fair share of Lebowski references (the bowling alley, for starters). Too bad it's not played for laughs.
Still, I was enjoying it until that awful third-act plot contrivance (that every good Oscar bait drama needs to have) which rips out whatever subtlety the film pretended to have and brings the whole thing to its knees. I know you need to create some drama, but c'mon!
I wouldn't hate it if Bridges won, but he's done better.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict. 
|
| Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:53 am |
|
|
|
Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm
Posts: 92093
Location: Bonn, Germany
|
B
For a lauded Oscars flick this was a disappointment. It's your standard alcoholic/washed up performer plot whose life starts to take a turn for the better only to get worse towards the end again (before it ultimately gets better). Like trix said, it is nowhere close to The Wrestler. It simply lacks that film's balls, its rawness and a performance as astounding as Rourke's. It's not like Bridges is bad here, he's actually quite good. But he's also given a role that is very difficult to mess up. It's not all that demanding and I am certain that a lot of other competent actors could have played it every bit just as well. I am even more surprised by Maggie Gyllenhaal's nomination whose performance I wouldn't consider special by any means either.
The movie has a nice soundtrack, I'll give it that. Its heart also sits in the right spot and the very ending is fine. Casting Colin Farrell as a popular country singer seems like an odd choice, but he does well in his brief part. But the whole affair really plays by the rules of the genre all the time, never trying anything ambitious or new. Bridges, as good as he was, can't compare to the great turns by Clooney and Renner in that year. A shame that he was given his overdue Oscar for that.
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
|
| Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:25 pm |
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 1
|
[ 5 posts ] |
|
Who is online |
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 41 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum
|
|
