Loved it. Bridges gave the performance of his career. It makes me want to go slap him on the back and congratulate him. Plus, it's a tight little plot with lots of good music.
My only concern is that parts of it seem rushed. I thought he fell in love too quickly, and he got clean too quickly. Movies could have been made about both of these incidents alone.
I have to admit that I noticed that as well, but that, ultimately, it didn't detract for me. You're right, movies could be made--and have been--about those two plot points, but the fact is that despite their importance in this story, they are simply events in a much grander narrative. Not surprisingly, had this been a different story, they are plot points that would require greater attention because of how closely related they are--despite their seeming independence. Had this been strictly a love story, obviously the "falling in love" portion would have been emphasized, as that is where a great deal of the investment in the couple comes from. Similarly, if Bad ended up with Jean at the end, then the audience would have needed a much longer "sobriety" plot, as that would have been Bad's redemption: his test of worth. As it stands, however, since Jean and Bad's happily-ever-after is not the focus of the story (and, in fact, never occurs), those plot points, despite being crucial to a love story, are not particularly critical to Crazy Heart. In Crazy Heart, how Bad and Jean fall in love is not nearly as important as the fact that they do, just as how Bad gets sober isn't nearly as important as what it changes, or doesn't.
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