Crazy Heart

Two nights ago, I travelled far uptown with my friend Casey to see Crazy Heart. I was very excited about seeing this film because I am a fan of Jeff Bridge's easy acting style and a bigger fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal's understated performances (excluding her bizarre turn as a new agey mom in Away We Go; that was just weird). It was everything I'd hoped for. It was sort of like The Wrestler, but with a musician and a more hopeful ending. Through all the awful experiences Bad Blake has in the film, Jeff Bridges still manages to remain likable and the viewer empathizes with him. So by the time the end comes around you forget what an emotional roller coaster it has been for him and actually believe that he will be all right. I especially liked that there wasn't a magical, happy ending. As much as we like to believe in happy endings, it's time the movie industry realized that they very rarely occur.

Crazy Heart is nominated for Best Original Song and I think it stands a good chance in that category. I haven't seen The Princess and the Frog, but I think this heartfelt, beautiful, and easy tune might just steal it away from the upbeat genius that is a Disney song. The only song that might stand in its way is Take It All from NINE, but if the Academy has any sense they will grant it to a movie whose collection of songs were all satisfactory as opposed to one of the maybe three songs that were more than mediocre in NINE.

I think Jeff Bridges may come away with the Oscar this year. Morgan Freeman is no doubt spectacular in Invictus, like he is in every movie, but I don't know if that's enough to beat out the unbelievable role that is Bad Blake. George Clooney's turn as an isolated man spending the majority of his life on the road is not hard-hitting enough to win, surprising though his performance was. Jeremy Renner did not impress me in The Hurt Locker, as I said before. The only question is Colin Firth in A Single Man, which I have yet to see. That may be the deciding role. Both Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth have done excellent work in the past, but neither of them have managed to score an Oscar (Colin Firth has never even been nominated!) The only thing that may give Bridges the edge is the fact that he has already been nominated four times for an Oscar. His time may finally have come and the best part is that this part is worthy of an Oscar. Sometimes stars win one simply because they are due even if their performance is not as spectacular as the stuff of past winners.

That leaves Maggie Gyllenhaal. Can she beat out the ladies of Up In the Air who both turned out surprisingly truthful, nuanced performances? Can she beat out the overwhelming force that is Mo'nique in Precious and the delightful yet touching portrayal of Daniel Day-Lewis' mistress by Penelope Cruz? Only time will tell. But I personally am cheering her on. Her performance was real and every line she spoke fit perfectly into the story. Understated and true to life as always, if the Academy has any sense, it will be Maggie Gyllenhaal who walks away with the Golden Man.