James Keane

Review: Crazy Heart

"I used to be somebody, now I am somebody else" sings Bad Blake, Jeff Bridges' veteran country singer, through liquor-hardened vocals. He used to be a highly regarded country star, but his crumbling career has turned him into a hard luck story more akin to blues music than country: he's tired, broke, an alcoholic and down on his luck. Blake's star has dimmed to a status that his agent can only use to illuminate such small-time venues as bowling alleys, where he reluctantly plays to a handful of loyal fans.