Not bad, but could have been so much better.

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2012)

Crazy Heart is not a bad film at all. Jeff Bridges is excellent (as always) and the opening scene in the bowling alley is a great bit of fun for those who've seen him in The Big Lebowski. The film continues to offer much promise; the music is both authentic and enjoyable, the characters and locations both add to the genuine feel and the main character, Bad Blake (Bridges), quickly lets us know what he's all about. However, the initial momentum of the film seems to very slowly fizzle and, although it remains interesting and enjoyable, Crazy Heart just doesn't really go anywhere.
Now, this isn't to say that all films have to have a complex and intriguing plot, but there has to be a little something extra that helps a well-made film like this go from 'good' to 'great'. This is a terrible shame because Crazy Heart wouldn't have needed much to push it into the 'great' category. It was so nearly there. For example, in contrast to what some other reviewers have found, I just didn't feel any chemistry between the Maggie Gyllenhaal character and Bad Blake himself. Her acting is great, don't get me wrong, but I didn't buy into their feelings for one another. Just look at 'Walk the Line' (not a totally dissimilar film) for a perfect example of how it can be played with utter believability; the chemistry between Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix is simply electric. It's similar with the relationship between 'Bad' and the Colin Farrell character; their friendship is presented to you as what could be an interesting side-plot but, as with so much of the film, it simply doesn't deliver what you might hope to expect.
In summary, Crazy Heart is a good film. It's quite disappointing that it could easily have been so much more with just a bit more effort on the story and/or character development.