Country Strong

A tad better than the genre and thematically related Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges. Comparing the two characters, consumed by the demon of alcoholism - while Bridges basically repeated a tamer variation of the Dude from The Big Lebowski, Paltrow gives a focused performance, and even vocally she was definitely not behind her colleague. Emotionally, both films are roughly the same, emotions float lightly on the surface and do not bite deeper into the viewer, even though Country Strong has a more fateful and tragic story. What was definitely a pleasant surprise was the performance of young Garrett Hedlund, he’s likeable in every way and sings beautifully. Country is not my cup of tea, but in such a pleasant presentation I can enjoy it. (07/27/2011)

Country isn't really my cup of tea, and I don't particularly like Gwyneth Paltrow either. The only reason I watched this movie was because of the amazing Leighton Meester. She is growing in my eyes as an actress and as a singer. I already knew Paltrow could sing from Glee. But as an actress she surprised me and this is definitely her most successful role. I'm also pleasantly surprised by the choice of songs, which surprisingly didn't tear my ears out. And Garrett Hedlund was ultimately likable. 4 stars and I admit it had its strengths. (07/13/2011)

Unlike others, I think that Crazy Heart is a bit better than Country Strength. Even though one of my reasons for this is my age - because the film obviously targets an audience about two decades younger - there is still a significant difference left for me to give it 3 stars, because that's exactly how I appreciated Crazy Heart. In my opinion, Country Strength is more sappy, it doesn't go as deep and it tries to sell us banalities. Lastly, there are more country songs in it, and I don't particularly like this genre. Overall impression: 45% (mostly for Gwyneth Paltrow). It's not that her performance is dazzling, but it cannot be overlooked that she is a top actress. Country Strength is both primarily and secondarily a romance, not a drama with a broader reach. (05/06/2014)