A Few Notes on "Crazy Heart"

• "Crazy Heart" follows Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) , a washed up country singer, as he tries to mend his life back together. Along the way, he meets a music journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and slowly falls for her southern charm. Jean is single parent and has a little boy who also enjoys Blake's company.


• Exceptional performances from both Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Bridges feels completely authentic in his character. A tremendous physical and emotional performance. His faces conveys such warmth and texture. Gyllenhaal emotes well and fully understands the maternal nature of her character. She is trying to protect her son, but she is also trying to protect herself.


• The film captures the South with reverence. Feels like one of the first "true" representations of southern life rid of any film cliches or caricatures.


• Narratively, the film feels unfocused. It cannot quite decide which story it wants to tell - Bad Blake's relationship with Jean, Blake reuniting with a fellow musician (Colin Farrell), or Blake's attempt to resurrect his own career.


• Consequently, the film's ending is rather unsatifying. Unfortunately, the filmmakers didn't have the guts to end on a downbeat. Instead, they opted for a neat, happier ending lacking in realism.


• B-

2009 Review Archive

"Sherlock Holmes" C
"Avatar" B
"Invictus" C
"Up in the Air" B+
"The Road" C
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" B+
"The Blind Side" C-
"Precious" B+
"Where the Wild Things Are" A
"An Education" B-
"A Serious Man" A-
"Whip It" B
"The Informant!" B
"Extract" C+
"Inglourious Basterds" A-
"Julie & Julia" B-
"Funny People" B+
"500 Days of Summer" B+
"The Hurt Locker" A-
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" B
"Public Enemies" B -
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" D
"The Proposal" D+
"Away We Go" B+
"Brothers Bloom" C+
"Up" B
"Terminator: Salvation" C
"Angels and Demons" C
"Star Trek" B+
"The Soloist" C+
"State of Play" B
"Gigantic" C-
"Adventureland" B
"Monster vs. Aliens" C-
"Duplicity" A-
"Coraline" B

Oscar Predictions - Box Office vs. Quality

As the 2009 awards season heats up, the Best Picture race seems foggy with a few films fighting it out to claim the big prize. Before this past Sunday’s Golden Globe ceremony, I believed Kathryn Bigelow’s war epic “The Hurt Locker” would nab the Best Picture prize at this year’s Academy Awards. Now, after James Cameron’s “Avatar” clinched both Best Director and Best Picture this past Sunday at the Golden Globes, the category has shifted into a two-horse race, “Avatar” vs. “The Hurt Locker” with Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” remaining the only possible dark horse.

As for Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air,” the comedy-drama’s buzz has diminished in the Best Picture category. Unfortunately for Reitman, the film peaked far too early as audience reactions failed to match the enthusiasm of many critics. And while “Up in the Air” received top marks from many critics, it never bested “The Hurt Locker” in terms of critical adulation. While “Up in the Air” won the top prize at the National Board of Review, it failed to clinch the Best Picture/Best Director awards with any other major awards group. The Los Angeles Film Critics, the New York Film Critics, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics all awarded “The Hurt Locker” with Best Picture and Kathryn Bigelow with Best Director.

While “The Hurt Locker” has garnered the most critical acclaim, Cameron’s “Avatar” boasts a hefty box office total that could catapult the film to a Best Picture win, not unlike Cameron’s other previous juggernaut, “Titanic.” So, in a sense, the 2009 Best Picture race will pit Box Office against Quality – “Avatar” vs. “The Hurt Locker.” Many will disagree with that last statement. Many will moan that I’m a whiny elitist. But, alas, it is my opinion. While “Avatar” features some great action sequences and whiz-bang visual effects, it simply does not match Kathryn Bigelow’s expert mix of character and action in “The Hurt Locker.”

However, personal opinion aside, Best Picture is shaping up to be an exciting category at this year’s Oscars. Let’s hope the races remains suspenseful until the winner is announced at the Kodak Theater in March.