Crazy Heart (15)

Given that Crazy Heart is produced by Robert Duvall, comparisons to Tender Mercies, the film which earned Duvall his Oscar for playing a down on his luck singer trying to get his life back on track, are obvious. And while the pacing and structure might be familiar, Jeff Bridges very much brings his own brand of vulnerability and charm to the role of Bad Blake, a middle-aged country star whose sell-by date is long since past.

Now relegated to playing cheap saloons and bowling alleys, Bad’s life revolves around drink, cigarettes, and the women he meets on the road. When he has an unexpected emotional connection with a local journalist, Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Blake is inspired to try and kick start his career. He reconnects with Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a former sideman and surrogate son who has eclipsed his old boss' fame, selling out amphitheatres. Old habits die hard, and Blake, jealous of the success of his protege, hits a creative block and his drinking threatens to destroy the delicate balance of his new happiness.

Like last year’s standout The Wrestler, Crazy Heart is a story of redemption which has been told a thousand times before. But Scott Cooper’s sensitive adaptation of Thomas Cobb’s novel is solid filmmaking. No scene outstays its welcome, the original songs are pitch perfect, and it is clear that the trust the director established with his cast allowed Bridges to turn in one of the most nuanced performances of his career.