Engaging portrait of a flawed talent

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2010)

Jeff Bridges' incredible performance is not the only aspect of this movie that deserves praise. Bridges—who will most likely win an Oscar for his performance (sorry, Colin Firth, it was just your bad luck to deliver your best performance in the same year)—inhabits the character of Bad Blake so thoroughly and convincingly that you forget you're watching Jeff Bridges; he truly gives life to this alcoholic but talented country singer who is searching for some joy and redemption at the end of his career. Maggie Gyllenhaal is wonderful in a supporting role as Blake's girlfriend, and Colin Farrell is a genuine surprise as Blake's protégé, Tommy Sweet. (By the way, who the heck knew that Farrell—and Bridges, for that matter—could sing so well?) Bonus: the soundtrack is awesome. Interesting cinema synergy—Robert Duvall (still a working actor at the age of 79), who produced this film and has a small supporting role, won a Best Actor Oscar in 1984 for playing a character similar to Bad Blake in "Tender Mercies."