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Crazy Heart is set against a stunning backdrop of  the sprawling Deep South a territory in which our main character Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is familiar with. A country and Western star with his best days behind him he now travels hundreds of miles a day only to play the sort of venues that he feels are beneath him. Broke, drunk and divorced all he has is his music and even that has been failing him not having written any new material in years. To top it off the man to whom he taught everything he knows is Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) Sweet is at the top of his game and is nothing more than a reminder to Blake of what once was. 

At a chance meeting with Jean (Maggie Gylenhal) Bad Blake relaises there is a lot left to live for and quickly finds himself embroiled in an affair with the young single mum.

After an accident induced by Blakes heavy drinking, lack of sleep and ridiculous driving schedule he stays with Jean and their relationship quickly becomes deep, and intense.

He finds his luck changing and his yonug protege Tommy Sweet stays loyal to his word and offers Blake a chance to record new material as well as write new material for him wiht a big pay day. The arrival of Jean in his life has seen that Blakes writers block has finally come to an end and he returns home to Houston to get to work. 

A visit from Jean and her beloved son Woody however threatens to be the final thing to destroy Bad Blake. His sobriety is non existent and despite promises not to drink in front of Woody his demons win and he looses the little boy. 

Jean leaves vowing never to return but the scare of loosing the little boy who Blake adores is the wake up call he needs. 

In his hour of need Bad Blake turns to his friend Wayne (Robert DuVall) and enters rehab, emerging as Otis Blake, the reformed alcoholic, neither resentful nor bitter of the consequences of this past. 

All in all this is a fantastic movie, it’s a gentle tale of a man off the rails trying to put right his wrongs and blaming no one for his downfall. A tale of friendship of loyalty and of reformation that is set against a beautiful setting and with amazing songs (the oscar for original song was well deserved)

Jeff Bridges is his usual phenomenal self and Maggie Gylenhall doesn’t fail to impress as the mother torn between a dangerous attraction and the responsibility of motherhood. 

The strong back ups in forms of Farrell and DuVall mean that this beautifully scripted, visually stunning piece of cinema is nothing short of unmissable. 

The Academy got it right when they dished out the Oscars for this one.

DO NOT MISS IT!!