Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart is one of the best films of the genre. With such stars as Jeff Bridges (Otis "Bad" Blake), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock), Colin Farrell (Tommy Sweet) and Robert Duvall (Wayne) and music written by T-bone Burnett the film is packed with talent.

Jeff Bridges has received much critical acclaim for this role. He has played the seemingly slacker has-been part well but lets the audience see the underlying vulnerability of Blake and the effect his destructive lifestyle is having.

The Bad Blake character is a once famous country and western music singer. He is now scrapping a living singing in bars and clubs, drinking and smoking too much. He has a son from one of his many unhappy marriages but has not had any contact with him for 24 years. He meets a journalist (Gyllenhaal) who wants to get him to get his life back on track.

He is persuaded to join up with his former protégée (Farrell) who is now a successful singer playing to stadiums. However, rather than a singing partnership Farrell’s’ character would like Blake to write for him.

Bridges won an academy award for his performance as well as Best Actor prizes from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild.