Crazy Heart (2009); drama film review

Poster for the drama film Crazy Heart.

Bad Makes Good by Linh

First-time director Scott Cooper has plenty to be proud of with his debut feature film Crazy Heart. Scott Cooper never went to film school, but his acting background and keen observations of other directors he’s worked with, have helped to create a film with tenderness and nuanced performances. His collaborative effort with actors Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall, who also produced the film, has earned Crazy Heart three Academy Award nominations that included a Best Leading Actor Oscar for Jeff Bridges.

MAKING MELODIES: Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) immerses himself in the music in the film Crazy Heart. Image: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Crazy Heart is an adaptation of Thomas Cobb’s novel of the same name, with music and lyrics by Stephen Bruton, Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett. The film tells a linear narrative of an ageing, chain-smoking, alcoholic country music legend named Bad Blake who has four marriages and divorces behind him, but his downward-spiralling life gets a lift when he meets a young, single mother named Jane.

INTIMATE INSIGHTS: Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) and Jane (Maggie Gyllenhaal) share some personal information in the film Crazy Heart. Image: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Five-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges’s role of Bad Blake bears similarities to Mickey Rourke’s character from The Wrestler. Both have been in their careers for too long, have attempted to reconcile with estranged family members and find redemption in the understanding arms of women. Bridges gives a brilliant performance as the ageing country music star, while singing and playing guitar, although the relationship with the young Jane seems unconvincing.

After her star turn in the blockbuster The Dark Knight, Maggie Gyllenhaal, makes her character Jean a strong and memorable presence in the film as well as in Bad Blake’s life. Jean develops a good rapport with Bad Blake, and eventually opens up to let him into her well-guarded life with her four year old son Bud. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s performance has earned her a well-deserving Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Robert Duvall as Bad Blake’s long-time friend Wayne, who helps him fight alcoholism to get his career and life back on track; Dubliner Colin Farrell is superb with an American accent and singing voice, as Bad Blake’s former protégé Tommy Sweet; Jack Nation steals every scene as Jane’s curious and playful son Bud; the musicians and band members performing during Bad Blake’s gigs are tremendously talented.

LONGTIME FRIENDS: Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) and Wayne (Robert Duvall) reminisce about the good old days in the film Crazy Heart. Image: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Musicians Stephen Bruton, who died of throat cancer in 2009 after completing the soundtrack for Crazy Heart, and T-Bone Burnett have written sumptuously sublime music to accompany the film, that reflects the pain and hope as Bad Blake experiences the ebbs and flows of his personal life and career. The songs also lifts the film during the few parts where it seems to drag, while giving the audience a rare showing of Bridges’s musical talents.

Crazy Heart is a gentle and heart-tugging redemption tale that is touching and somewhat predictable yet is still an enjoyable small independent film.

DOUBLE DELIGHT: Tommy (Colin Farrell) is proud to share the stage with his mentor Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) in the film Crazy Heart. Image: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Director: Scott Cooper

Writers: Scott Cooper (screenplay), Thomas Cobb (novel)

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, James Keane, Jack Nation, Brian Gleason, Harry Zinn, Debrianna Mansini, Paul Herman, Anna Felix, Beth Grant, Ryan Bingham, Rick Dial

Producers: Scott Cooper, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, T-Bone Burnett, Eric Brenner, Michael A. Simpson, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner

Original Music Composers and Lyricists: Ryan Bingham, Stephen Bruton, T-Bone Burnett

Cinematographer: Barry Markowitz (Director of Photography)

Film Editor: John Axelrad, Jeffrey Ford

Production: Waldemar Kalinowski (Production Designer), Ben Zeller (Art Director), Carla Curry (Set Decorator)

Costume Designer: Doug Hall

Running Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

In Bruges (2008); comedy action film review

Poster artwork for the action comedy film In Bruges.

Killing Time in Bruges by Linh

Writer and director Martin McDonagh’s first feature film In Bruges (pronounced ‘broozh’) is an usual and dark comic thriller set in the beautiful medieval city of Bruges in Belgium during Christmas time. McDonaugh’s script cleverly allows the picturesque city to draw out the personalities of the characters and also provides an eerie yet attractive backdrop for the action scenes. 

In Bruges revolves around two contract killers, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), who have been sent to Bruges following a murder gone awry in London. Ray was to have killed a paedophile priest, but also accidentally shot dead a young boy during the process.

Their unscrupulous but principled boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) has ordered them to cool their heels in Bruges until he contacts them at a later date. What follows is a blend of horrific violence, plenty of bloodshed, drug and alcohol consumption, excessive expletive-laced dialogue along with some intriguing characters.

BRUGES BUDDIES: Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell on the set of the film In Bruges. Image: Focus Features.

Colin Farrell is charmingly boyish as Ray, who whines about being stuck in Bruges when he would rather be in Dublin. His thick, dark eyebrows and Irish accent add to his character’s quirks, while he ponders his latest mistake as an assassin. Not even the fairy tale surroundings of Bruges can distract him from his silent pain of killing an innocent child.

Brendan Gleeson plays Ken, the more experienced killer and father figure to Ray, having been paired up with him for the last few contract killings. Gleeson gives Ken a brooding yet jolly persona and makes a huge personal sacrifice to save Ray’s life, whom he sees as having plenty of potential.

Although he appears in the last several scenes in the film (only heard on the phone with Ken for two thirds of the film at the start), Ralph Fiennes is hot-headed and foul-mouthed as the merciless and relentless boss, Harry. Almost all the swearing in the film comes from Harry, in both written and verbal form, yet Fiennes delivery is comical and nasty.

The city of Bruges has its own personality with a unique atmosphere and a hauntingly historic feel in all its tourist attractions including the museum, the art gallery, the cafe and even the fictional hotel where Ray and Ken stay has a Flemish flavour. The supporting cast is wonderful with each character bringing their own blend of humour, action and silliness to the film.

Clémence Poésy (who played Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) is sizzling as the drug dealer and Ray's love interest, Chloë; Jordan Prentice is an enigmatic and  prejudiced dwarf, Jimmy,  who appears in a movie being filmed in Bruges and Thekla Reuten is marvellous as the hotel owner, Marie, who holds her own as bullets are fired around her.

In Bruges is more innovative than Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and more intense than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and stands out as a dazzling little cinematic gem which may not appeal to some but will delight many.

TRIGGER HAPPY: Harry (Ralph Fiennes) wants "a normal gun for a normal person" in the film In Bruges. Image: Focus Features.

Director: Martin McDonagh

Writer: Martin McDonagh (screenplay)

Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, Jérémie Rénier, Jordan Prentice, Thekla Reuten, Erik Godon.

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin

Cinematographer: Eigil Bryld (Director of Photography)

Original Music Composer: Carter Burwell

Film Editor: Jon Gregory 

Production: Michael Carlin (Prodcution Designer), Chris Lowe (Art Director), Anna Lynch-Robinson (Set Decorator)

Costume Designer: Jany Temime

Running Time: 1 hour and 47 minutes.