A damn-near perfect movie

Rating: 9/10 (14 March 2010)

Right from the start it engaged with me with those gorgeous southern vistas and neon soaked bars...the music, the emotional connection, the perfect picture of a frayed life on the brink of destruction. Maggie G is just sublime, ideally cast as a strong yet open-hearted woman yearning for something real. Her every emotion is palpable and chemistry with Bridges makes for genuine harmony.
Speaking of The Dude, I'm having a mighty hard time trying to choose between him and Firth as my favourite performance of the year. So dynamic and brazen, you feel the drain of every turn his life takes as the story unfolds. Well-deserved Oscar winner. The only thing I'd mark the movie down on is the appearance of Colin Farrell as Bad Blake's cocky protégé...maybe it's because I'm Irish but to me his performance stuck out like a sore thumb.
Other than that I can't recommend it enough, I really feel it should gotten more recognition than it did, I do think on the whole it, and the music, will stand the test of time though. It's that kind of movie.