First Hit: Jeff Bridges fully embodies “Bad” Blake in this extremely well acted performance in a really good film about redemption.
Jeff Bridges plays “Bad” Blake a rundown, broken down, and down on his luck drunken country singer who, at age 57, finds himself playing small bars and bowling alleys.
Scott Cooper (director) did a great job of giving the audience a strong picture of who “Bad” is prior to hearing him sing for the first time at a bowling alley. He arrives at the alley, climbs out of the old beat up Suburban he drives and slowly buttons up his pants and buckles his belt.
We see that he drives a long ways between gigs and because he has a sizable gut, he unbuttons his pants and belt buckle while he drives to make himself more comfortable. He walks into the bowling alley to check the place out and discovers they won’t cover his bar bill but will only cover room and food because his reputation as a drinker has precedes him.
The alley owner tells him there is no smoking in the building but he can finish the one in his mouth. He checks into the dumpy motel they've set up for him, then heads out to find some alcohol. The leader of the backup band comes to his room and tells him the band wants to rehearse. He deflects him by giving him sheet music, the playlist and a CD to listen to, saying everything you need to know is here.
The band leader insists he come to the rehearsal so “Bad” says he’ll be there in an hour, but we already know he won’t show. He finds more booze, lights up another cigarette and lies in the motel in a drunken haze but gets up in time to get to the alley for his first set.
The backup band is waiting for him outside and “Bad” mumbles something like; I’ve never been late or miss a show in my life whether I’ve been drunk or not. He invites the boys to follow him to start playing some music.
Climbing on stage, strapping on his guitar, they begin the first song, and you see why he’s still able to make a living – he’s good, damn good. We follow “Bad” to his next gig where he meets Jean Craddock (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) who wants to interview him.
A relationship begins to develop and it is here that we begin to see a slow transformation of Bridge's character.
Bridges gives the kind of performance that sets him apart from other actors in that he fully embodies this character. Not only is Bridges a credible drunk, loner and washed up has been, he does an outstanding job of singing and playing guitar which brings life to “Bad’s” existence. Gyllenhaal is wonderful as a mother who must measure her feelings of love for a high risk man against what will be good for her and her son as she becomes involved with “Bad”. Robert Duval credibly plays “Bad’s” friend Wayne and is there to help “Bad” through the rough times along with giving him some advice along the way. The most detrimental part of this film was the casting Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet who was mentored by “Bad” and became a Number 1 Country Star. Farrell seems to carry his head down and doesn’t look at the person he is talking to most of the time. It was as if he was embarrassed by the part or his job in the part.
Overall: This was a wonderful film about how it is never too late to step back into one’s life fully.