The Dude Goes Country

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2010)

Take the Dude, Jeff Bridges character in the "Big Lebowski", arguably his best ever, subtract the constant confusion, and add a jaundiced view of life, and you have Bad Blake, a down-on-his-luck, broken, middle aged country singer, who's now playing bowling alleys, and small lounges, while he drinks and smokes too much, and shacks up with whatever woman is left at the bar that night.
While Crazy Heart is a good movie, it could have been so much better. It's a great character study in Blake, and really takes you through his tormented life, capped by now having to play as an opening act for one of his former backup band members, and at the same time trying to establish a relationship with a young reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), after four failed marriages.
The music and musicians were excellent--I just there was more of it, like T-Bone Burnette did in "Brother, Where art Thou". But other than a few complete songs, we get mostly bits and pieces of the songs, and the creative process. What isn't so good is the lengthy dialogue, much of which is overdone, and too many romantic pointless romantic scenes, which are hardly believable given the age difference of the primary actors. (I mean really, do you think a girl like her would ever go for a guy like him?).
It would have been better if there were more music, less talk, and an older woman playing opposite Bridges, who could really make us believe she is as flawed as his character.
It's a good movie, still worth the watch, but too slow, and not as musical as it should have been. I just expected more.
However, without revealing any spoilers, I can tell all you Bridges fans out there, that in the end, the Dude still abides!