last night i watched the movie crazy heart starring jeff bridges with michael and matthew (home for 2 weeks from kimberley for break from rugby - yeah). both of them were surprised that i watched the entire movie without being prodded or asked "are you awake?"
quick synopsis:-
"Jeff Bridges stars as the richly comic, semi-tragic romantic anti-hero Bad Blake in the debut feature film Crazy Heart from writer-director Scott Cooper. Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who’s had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, Bad learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man’s crazy heart."
jeff bridges won an oscar for this performance. always an under-rated, under-the-radar kind of actor he is absolutely amazing in this movie AND he can sing (bonus a duet with colin farrell - wow). the soundtrack is awesome and that coming from me who is not a country music fan!! (the songs reminded me quite a bit of leonard cohen gone country). i have watched "the fabulous baker boys" with the bridges brothers and michelle pheiffer many times, i loved "the fisher king" and "the door in the floor". gareth is a number one fan of the man and "the big lebowski" is his most favourite movie. parts of that movie i still don't get but i don't think many days go past when either gareth or nic do not use a "dudeism" - "nobody calls me lebowski. you got the wrong guy. i'm the Dude, man" or "let me explain something to you, i am not "mr. lebowski". you're mr lebowski. I AM THE DUDE. so that's what you call me. you know, that his dudeness, or uh, duder, or el duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing." crazy children and all very confusing but they will be suitably impressed that i can also quote the dude.
there’s one point in the movie when bad blake leans in to kiss maggie gylennhall - although she is drawn to him, she backs up, because of his breath (i am sure). watching him at work in this movie you know exactly what he smells (and tastes) like. cigarettes and cheap whiskey. no kidding i could smell his breath (and lank, greasy hair) through the screen (no wonder i did not fall asleep) and at the same time he manages to be so very sexy (i know bestest sister will not agree with me and argue this point - we don't agree on music or the hotness scale of men - how can you not like victor matfield??!). back to bad blake. he was once a big country star. he drives an old beat up truck and plays his gigs at bowling alleys. faded-past-their-sell-by-date ladies sway to him singing in smokey bars. it is all pretty sad. but these people remember and support their once hero - he is loved and remembered by his fans in these smokey alleys and bars but sadly he is so far gone in his alcoholism that the love of these fans does not seem to touch him.
i am really sorry that i did not see this movie when it was first released but to sit down last night and watch this dude act (and sing) was the cherry on the top of a great weekend. but then i could not go to sleep.
watch this clip first:-
oops this is turning into my first movie review so back to the wakeful hours last night. i had a kind-of theme running for this week in the back of my mind. it was going to be about dreams and wishes and bucket lists and doing things for yourself that make you happy (i had such a great day on saturday, left for stellenbosch early with da girls - morning market, breads and cheeses and brownies and wine and that lovely biscuit pizza with rocket, italian cheese and balsamic reduction followed by watching nic play rugby for uct, bubbles and picnic on the sidelines (it was intervarsity after all and ikeys won), into town for coffee and carrot cake - i ditched da girls in stellenbosch (they had one more stop to make) and headed home to finish off the day with a dinner party at home with lovely people and lovely wine - in all a thoroughly lovely day).
so now maybe starting with crazy heart sets the scene for the week perfectly. the film is raw and sincere and bad blake's character grips at your heart. what i took away from the movie is that is is never too late to change, to become a better person and better friend. (there are some incredible moments with him forming a special relationship with maggie's 4 year old boy). we all have some of bad blake inside ourselves (hopefully not the smell of the breath and the hair), we all have battles to fight and a story to tell (some, like me just take a little bit longer to get to the point of the story - is there ever a point?). but thanks for the feedback i am getting from "the followers" - you are getting my point (or lack thereof) and as my late great friend vaughan would say "i am having a jolly fun time".
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