Latest screening: Crazy Heart

What a breath of fresh air this film is. Crazy Heart works on every level. It's not that it screams originality - hell this format has been used time and again whether in last year's The Wrestler or other country-singer themed films like Tender Mercies and Honkytonk Man - but everything is firing on all cylinders here.

The story of washed-up alcoholic country-and-western singer "Bad" Blake the film is a gentle and funny tale. It shows the state in which Blake has gotten himself but he's not a tragic figure in the same way as say Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram". He is a man enjoying his life as best he can. He's been dealt some bum hands but he's playing with what he's got and seems to be enjoying the game. Then he meets a young journalist who starts to make him see what's wrong with the way things are more clearly. Like i said, nothing mind-blowingly original, but handled in a confident and engaging way by the writer/director, and it sweeps you along with ease, never dragging, never outstaying it's welcome. In fact if there's a criticism i would make of the filmmaking itself it's that sometimes it feels to move too swiftly. The film addresses Blake's alcoholism and realisation that he wants to do something about too quickly and neatly. Perhaps the director didn't want to give the world yet another "the trials of rehab" scene or a "struggles of recovery" moment, and that's fine by to mop it up and sweep it under the carpet the way the film does, does seem to be short-changing the audience that are on this journey with the character just a bit. Still, small complaint.

Jeff Bridges is stunning here. Bridges is always reliable but he excels here and i would say this is his best role to date. He hasn't inhabited the body of a character this convincingly since The Dude in The Big Lebowski and his "Bad" Blake feels as real as characters come. Whether singing on stage, writing songs, getting drunk or getting in over his head he never hits a wrong note. I haven't seen Morgan Freeman in Invictus yet but for my money Bridges trumps all the other actors this year and I hope he finally gets his due for this. It is a towering performance, at once both in your face and yet subtle. A masterclass in acting.

Maggie Gyllenhaal more than holds her own and deserves a best supporting actress nod, though it's a tough field in that category this year and i suspect Bridges performance may eclipse much of the rest of the movie. This would be a shame though. Here she is likeably believable in an understated way and without her balance of the main character the film would struggle more.

Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall are both solid in smaller supporting roles but neither is really in it enough to get any awards attention.

The photography, like everything about this movie, is beautiful; while the soundtrack of new songs is simply stunning. Bridges has a great voice for them and personally i plan to buy the soundtrack album for this one. It'll have you top-tapping and thigh-slapping in the aisles!

One of my favourite films of the year. An awards movie that is also just plain entertaining - which is all too rare - with great songs and excellent performances, including a career-best from Bridges. A must see.