It seems “Drunken Heart” or “Broken-down Heart” might have been a more sensible title about a washed-up country singing crooner, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) who was destined for this Oscar worthy role. It’s not much of a story, so simple in fact if the plot is revealed you’ve seen it all, but it’s a lot of acting as Bridge’s character wrestles with his inner demons who surface when he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal). She’s some local guy’s niece who wants to interview and photograph him for the newspaper. She comes equipped with tripods and a four year old son, Buddy. This movie is this year’s “The Wrestler” and though it’s not as wretching, the acting is off-the-charts. Bridges has worked hard and steady through his 57 acting years even though his characters are often losers (think of “The Door In the Floor” and “The Big Lebowski” of big drunken dopes with a wandering eye. Even his lounge singer in “The Fabulous Baker Boys” – he’s got an edge for slowpokes.) The soundtrack, overseen by T Bone Burnetts, includes the movie’s theme song which Bridges performs. Who knew he could sing country and play guitar? We’re never quite sure what Gyllenhaal sees in Bad Blake, but we know that Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) the number one country singer in America owes his career to Blake’s past. Rounding out the cast of misfits is Robert Duvall as his old drinking buddy who finds any excuse to keep having another whiskey shot so long as they’re singing. The movie feels Santa Fe and it is. Directed and written by Scott Cooper, he’s captured that western charm. Three tiaras
