I've Been Loved And I've Been Alone, All My Life I Been A Rolling Stone ...

Rating: 5/10 (2 October 2012)

Bad Blake is an ageing country singer with health problems whose career is fizzling out. But when he simultaneously meets the intriguing Jean and is offered a guest shot at a big concert, his luck seems to have turned. Can he capitalise on this good fortune ?
This gentle, easygoing drama is a very simple bittersweet story, but pretty much every aspect of it is beautifully done. All the characters are interesting, multi-faceted, painfully recognisable and extremely well played. Blake is a bit of a loser; he smokes too much, drinks too much, runs away from responsibility and complains a lot, but he's kinda earned the right to do so from years of vagabond travel and baring his soul through his music. It's easy to identify with a man who has grown disillusioned and tired of feeling exploited but lacks the courage to try and accept his faults or change his destiny. Bridges is pretty sensational (but then he almost always is), throwing himself into the part, and his singing carries exactly the right mixture of weariness and sentimentality. Everybody else is great too - Gyllenhaal makes us focus on what Blake is missing, Farrell (who also sings) has a scene-stealing part as Tommy Sweet, the protégé who has become a top draw, and Duvall is terrific as ever (I love his reaction when he discovers Blake passed out from puking in the bathroom). The film is also full of fabulous toe-tapping music by Stephen Bruton and T-Bone Burnett, which peps up the gentle pacing and moves in and out of the narrative seamlessly. Produced on a very modest budget by first-time director Cooper, Bridges, Burnett and Duvall amongst others, this was a financial success and won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Song. Featuring great photography throughout by Barry Markowitz, with highly evocative use of the terrific New Mexico locations, this both sounds and looks like an authentic country and western picture. Based on a novel by Thomas Cobb and dedicated to Bruton (a longtime guitarist for Kris Kristofferson) who sadly passed away prior to the movie's release, this would make a great double bill with Duvall's similarly themed 1983 film Tender Mercies.