Viewed in
2010
Premise
Jeff Bridges attempts to win a best actor award as a struggling, past-his-prime country singer.
Who should watch
Bridges fans.
Thoughts
It's got good music and acting, but not much else.
Jeff Bridges was very well cast. He was very believable as a talented, alcoholic singer who has trouble learning from his mistakes. Though I was amused by how much he looked like an older Eddie Vedder. Bridges was flanked by some cool and unexpected cast members, especially the great Robert Duvall. The dynamic between Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, especially when things start falling apart was quite affecting.
Overall, the characters were well drawn out. Most of the time, it felt like I was watching real people dealing with real issues and behaving like human beings. It also had quite a bit of unexpected, organic humor.
My problem was that I could not help but compare this to last year's 'The Wrestler'. When put side by side, this felt like an inferior copy. A film like this really hinges on the audience to forgive the plot or other flaws and to be fully emotionally attached to the main character as he fights his demons. Mickey Rourke sold it with every grunt out of bed, with every wrinkle on his face. In this film, I found this archetype just too familiar and, frankly, uninteresting. So despite Bridges' efforts, he never won me over.
I enjoyed the music and the acting. Too bad it just screamed 'Vote Jeff Bridges for Best Actor!' in every scene. Perhaps I would have liked it more if it came out a few years later, or if it had less hype.
What I would change
Not sure.
Random
I loved that the credits kept the Juan/Jesus joke going.
