Who's In It: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall
The Basics: Do also-ran outlaw country singers who keep performing to tiny crowds in bars intentionally construct their lives to resemble country songs? It's that chicken vs. egg question this movie never explores; instead we just get the facts: charismatic yet permanently soaked songwriter named "Bad" (Bridges) pukes and cries his way through this last-shot-at-redemption story that's heavy on connecting to all that good will extended to The Wrestler and heavier on meaningful shots of its star's beer belly. Call it Tender Mercies 2: The Drunkening (it even co-stars Robert Duvall). Jeff Bridges will call it his next Oscar nomination.
What's The Deal: Unless you just don't see that many movies, then there's nothing going on here you don't already know from all the other times this story's been told. But that's not really the point. We like to see down-and-out underdogs grasping for hope and possibly getting a little by the end credits. And so now it's Jeff Bridges's turn to remind audiences just how good he is and how good he's always been without ever getting too much attention for it. The entire movie is about his performance. It's emotionally strong and you pull for him even when he's gross. Which is most of the movie. Like, you can smell the stale beer, vomit and ashtray remains on this guy but you still love him anyway.
Other Reasons To See It: It never hammers your skull with its approach. Everything you see and hear has a modest, gentle quality that insinuates itself into your good graces. The music is good, too, and comes very correct with a lot of vintage hillbilly music reference points like Emmett Miller and the Georgia Wildcats dropped into dialogue. Thank co-producer and Oh Brother Where Art Thou? music guy T-Bone Burnett for that.
One Wrong Note: Maggie Gyllenhaal, as the single-mom music journalist, has a tough role to fill here. Her character is half-groupie, half-bad journalist ("Where do the songs come from?" she coos, minxing it up for her interview subject in a way that would suggest the actor herself hates journalism) and seems kind of like a plot device to make Bridges more appealing (by convincing us that someone would want to sleep with him) and to serve as a conduit for his descent to rock-bottom (by conveniently allowing his super-drunk self to tend to her child alone, something no mother with any protective instincts would do.) It's a thankless role, but she marches through.
Spot The Hedwig And The Angry Inch References! Bridges's former songwriting partner (Farrell) is named Tommy, just like in Hedwig. And in one scene he has to perform in a bowling alley. I didn't say it was intentional. It's just there to be observed if you feel like it.