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Was Jeff "The Dude" Bridges owed an Oscar? Absolutely. For many exquisite performances, from Starman to The Big Lebowski to Fearless.
But for this goopy, corny Country and Western drama? Well, probably not. He's good – but then he's always good – as Bad Blake, a sozzled, four-times married, broke 57-year-old country crooner and the "wrangler of love" whose "career is going nowhere". Bad (real name Otis) stumbles from bar to bar across the Midwest; sometimes mid-set he staggers backstage (i.e. where the garbage is) to puke. The band play on without him. Lord alone knows what Maggie Gyllenhaal's comely single-mom journalist sees in this wizened, grumbling old soak. A man who readily admits he was "never famous for my charm". However, he's clearly admired and a blend of Robert Duvall's kindly barman, Colin Farrell's wildly successful C&W singer and Gyllenhaal pulls his sweaty socks up. The Dude abides.
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