Oscar Nominee: Crazy Heart

And this ain't no place for the weary kind,
And this ain't no place to lose your mind,
And this ain't no place to fall behind,
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try.

Certain movies connect with the human spirit and we can't quite help but like them. Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell is one of those films. Directed by newbie Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart is the story of a broken down Country and Western Star, Bad Blake, who is trying to reclaim his old glory.

We've seen the formula before. Remember the Wrestler. Remember Raging Bull. While the tale seems the same, Crazy Heart is very different. Jeff Bridges plays an interesting and even likeable Blake, who struggles through life with his vices. You don't want to lose hope in him or for him. And, his hope comes in the form of Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Craddock is a starry-eyed reporter who gets drawn in by Blake's charm. While smart and classy, she is still vulnerable. Still, Craddock is not what Blake expected and for that reason Blake makes her his reason to change his ways; however, his path of redemption is not as easy as he'd like it to be.

Four time Oscar nominee Bridges is a master of his craft and he portrays Blake with a level of genuineness and honesty that only he can. Few actors are truly of his ilk. Gyllenhaal is endearing, while Farrell and Duvall are trully wonderful to watch.

If you haven't seen anyone like Bad Blake, you've certainly heard his kind in the muses of the late Waylon Jennings or Kris Kristopherson. But, as boys do grow up to be cowboys, as in the case of Bad Blake, they also grow old fast being cowboys. To his credit, Bridges, who looks a bit like Kris Kristopherson in the film, sings his own numbers and brings with them a deep sense of authenticity to his character and his words.

Cooper doubled as scribe for the script which is adapted from Thomas Cobb's novel of the same name. The music, written by Stephen Bruton and T. Bone Burnett, is memorable and even moving as it compliments the feel of the film.

For a first feature, Cooper should be commended. Crazy Heart has earned three Oscar nominations- Best Actor for Jeff Bridges, Best Supporting Actress for Maggie Gyllenhaal and Best Song for the theme, The Weary Kind.

While not an excellent film, Crazy Heart is respectable and memorable, because of the Oscar worthy cast and striking cinematography. Whether you are a cowboy or not, you'll find something you'll like about Crazy Heart.