REVIEW: Crazy Heart

Plot summary of Crazy Heart from fandango.com:

A worn-down country singer and a burgeoning journalist form an unusual bond in this drama adapted from the novel by Thomas Cobb. His spirit broken by multiple failed marriages, too much time on the road, and too many nights with the bottle, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) had started to feel like he was headed down the path of no return. When probing young writer Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) digs deep enough to unearth the broken man behind the legend, however, Bad realizes that redemption may not be such a long shot after all. Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell co-star.

Kinsey and I saw Crazy Heart the same day as we saw The White Ribbon and the two films couldn't be more different. The latter is a film that leaves you unsatisfied and contemplating the scenarios long after its over, while the former brings you along for the ride and drops you off at the end, done deal. It all depends on whether or not you liked the journey. Maybe I was just in an analytical mood, but the ride wasn't enough for me.

Now, there is plenty to like about this film. Jeff Bridges gives an admirable performance, though not his best (and definitely not the stone-cold lock for Oscar which seems to be the case). There is some wonderful old-timey country music and a charming supporting turn from the great Robert Duvall. But this story isn't something that hasn't been done a hundred times before. Down-on-his-luck drunk finds redemption isn't exactly the most original thing in the world.

And I don't know if its just me, but the story seemed to force the viewer to laugh at Bridges' character, Bad Blake. Not with him, at him. At times, it portrayed him as a fool, when the protagonist of this story should be a sympathetic figure. Crazy Heart is like a poor man's The Wrestler.

A major flaw was events seemed o happened simply to move the story along, not because it made sense for them to happen. Jean fell for Bad because the film needed romance, Bad lost Jean's kid because he needed a reason to get sober, Bad was a drunk because he was a musician. The perfect illustration of this was a scene where Bad needed to contact Jean on the road. So, of course, he pulls over to a phone booth... in the middle of the prairie! Nothing around but a phone booth.

So overall a decent film, but pretty unoriginal and, when you come down to it, forgettable.

Kinsey: 3.5/5 stars
Wade: 2.5/5 stars

REVIEW: The Men Who Stare at Goats

Plot summary for The Men Who Stare at Goats from IMDb.com:

A reporter, trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, gets more than he bargains for when he meets a special forces agent who reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. The founder of the unit has gone missing and the trail leads to another psychic soldier who has distorted the mission to serve his own ends.

Reality is how we perceive it. At least, that seems to be the message from the new Iraq War comedy, The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey. The film flirts with reality both on and off the screen. On the screen, George Clooney's Lyn Cassady truly believes in his psychic abilities, which appear to maybe exist… maybe. I mean the guy does stop the heart of a goat. But, of course, we are also shown plenty of proof that this psychic stuff is baloney. Off the screen, the film is supposedly based on some true events. The film begins with the caveat of "More of this is true than you would believe." But as to whether, for example, there really were attempts to locate Manuel Noriega through remote viewing or whether this was entertaining fiction remains unknown to the audience. If, as Ewan McGregor’s character states, you’re looking for something to believe in, this movie may just show you a whole other side to the US Army.

This ballad of psychic soldiers is played surprisingly straight by all, which is great because I don't think I could handle a whole bunch of winking at the camera. It could really be summed up as a war/buddy/road film with "The Dude" as a major in the Army. There's another "reality" thing right there. I don't know if the "The Dude" could've made it in the Army.

This film was really funny, yet still addressed quite a few serious topics, religion, terrorism, torture, the privatization of the Iraq War, just to name a few. All these topics were broached in the same humorous, beyond belief approach that the psych material was presented. It created an interesting contrast; as an audience member, you knew and recognized aspects of true events, yet the way they were introduced or concluded left doubt in their reality. Overall this was an interesting approach and made for an enjoyable dilemma to watch. But for some topics this didn't work, especially at the end. Some of the topics just seemed too heavy for this light, playful manner of portraying them. It accounted for some awkward and confusing moments. The film also left events and topics very quickly, before fully satisfy the curiosity of the viewers. While this was consistent throughout the film, it did leave for a slightly unsatisfying ending.

The acting in the film was all very fun and believable - great cast. Overall, we'd recommend you go see this movie; while maybe not amazing it was an enjoyable movie experience. Its also a chance to find something to believe in…

Kinsey: 3.5/5

Wade: 3.5/5