She’s not alone; Bad has plenty of folks looking out for him; a fond agent, his wildly successful musical protégé (Colin Farrell) and a good old boy bartending business partner (Robert Duvall). Can our hero snap out of his frequently comical drunken stupor to resurrect his career and get the girl?
We get to listen to a finely honed country score while we find out. Music producer T Bone Burnett’s perfectly pitched collection of tunes written especially for the film (with the late Stephen Bruton) sit exceptionally well alongside canonical fare such as Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You” and Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?”
Beyond the original soundtrack, the material is a little more familiar, perhaps too much so. Jeff Bridges’ Golden Globe winning central performance has lent credence to the notion abroad that Crazy Heart is The Wrestler with bottleneck riffs. But despite obvious similarities between the two projects - both feature dropouts who are potentially restored by the love of a younger, prettier star, both are prime Oscar bait which utilise comeback narrative as a springboard for a comeback - Crazy Heart lacks the muscle, both literally and figuratively, to square up to the Mickey Rourke vehicle. Mr. Bridges deserves his plaudits but this is a pleasing picture rather than a powerful one.