Ranking Colin Farrell's 10 Best Movie Performances

An often underlooked role on Farrell’s resume, his turn in this Oscar winning Jeff Bridges vehicle saw a notable maturation for the former matinee idol. Bridges plays Otis Blake, a country singer on the skids. Near-washed up and struggling with addiction, he’s offered a pride-wounding slot opening for his former mentee, Farrell’s Tommy Sweet.

This is a role that, in a lesser movie, would likely be an unsympathetic if not outright villainous one, but Scott Cooper’s excellent script gives Farrell a lot to work with. He’s excellently cast as Sweet, a man dependent on others to write his songs and give him direction, but nonetheless in awe of Blake, who has the songwriting chops and creativity Sweet lacks, but none of the professionalism or self control.

It’s also a showcase for Farrell’s hitherto-unknown chops as a singer. One of the film’s best scenes has Tommy Sweet perform Otis Blake’s latest song “The Weary Kind”, which the actor knocks out of the park. His voice is characterful, not virtuosic but totally believable as a successful country crooner.