Best Movie of the Year

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2010)

I just saw this movie for the 2nd time yesterday, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. The performances by the supporting cast were awesome, with Robert Duvall in a great role as "Bad" Blake's friend, helping him overcome his alcoholism. The other minor roles, mostly of Blake's devoted fans and fellow musicians, really made this a great movie. Of course, Jeff Bridges as "Bad" Blake was outstanding and should be the runaway favorite to win Best Actor. But he had great material and a stellar cast helping him out.
Why this movie did not make it onto the expanded list of Best Movie Oscar nominations is baffling. Was it too "Red State" for the mostly liberal movie critics that comprise the Academy? They didn't overlook Jeff Bridges or Maggie Gyllenhall for their performances (for Best Actor & Best Supporting Actress) and it rec'd a nod for Best Music. But why not Best Picture? Or Screenplay? The entire story was very well written, the cinematography was outstanding, with excellent panoramic scenes of the western US, the music scenes were all perfectly choreographed, even when "Bad" Blake was too drunk to stand, and the character development was pitch perfect. As good as Bridges was as Blake, the writing had much to do with his ability to connect with the movie goer. This was some very excellent screen writing and deserved an original screenplay nod.
A truly worthwhile movie experience and should most definitely have been nominated for Best Picture. Go see this gem.