Crazy Dude - not

I guess I must be one of the very few people in the world who have not seen Avatar. Heck, I still haven't seen James Cameron's other big blockbuster film, Titanic. It's not that I am averse to seeing either movie. It's just that it has never been absolutely convenient for me to do so.

Let's face it - I lead a pretty sheltered life and I don't get out much, but I do see the occasional movie. I've even seen some of Avatar's competition for the big awards this season, movies like Invictus, Sherlock Holmes, and Up in the Air, all of which I liked.

There is another film that has been out in limited release for a while that I would like to see. That would be Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges. At long last, it has made it to the "theater near me," the one where I see all my movies, so there is a possibility that I will finally get to see it. Of course, the movie has had the critics raving since it first came out and Bridges has swept all of the "best actor" awards so far. Apparently, it is about real people, not ten foot tall blue beings, so I think there is a possibility that I could relate to the characters.

Actually, I always relate to any character that Bridges plays. He's one of those enormously likable and naturalistic actors that I always believe no matter what the role may be. I enjoyed him in Seabiscuit a few years ago, but I think my favorite role of his was "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski.

That was one weird movie, but then most movies by the Coen brothers have a touch of weirdness about them. That's one of the things I like about them. But amid all that weirdness the bowling slacker who was "The Dude" was someone that I liked and that I wanted to win. I suspect I will feel the same about this Crazy Heart guy when I finally see the movie. Such is the talent of Jeff Bridges for portraying normalcy in the midst of any craziness.

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