★★★
In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher's Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Classification: 12A
A charming feel-good film celebrating diversity, creativity and the music of Bruce Springsteen, Blinded by the Light is another surefire hit from director Gurinder Chadha based upon the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor. While the screenplay assumedly takes liberties within the story such as name changes and dramatised emotional catharsis, there is a strong foundation that keeps the film's humanity at the forefront. The two performances of Viveik Kalra as Javed, the hopeful writer/Springsteen fanboy and Kulvinder Ghir as his stern traditional father Malik are that foundation, while Chadha's direction covers a wide number of side plots about Javed's connections to those in his life in Luton it is his relationship with his father that is the most rewarding. One could interpret their scenes together as predictable, with Javed and Malik's confrontations to each other stemming from generational differences, cultural tension as well as the reality of growing racism, financial insecurity and social change within Britain. The quality of the performances especially from Ghir who routinely establishes himself during the runtime as a powerhouse of both dramatic and comedic scenes makes this relationship transcend any cliché on the page.
Blinded by the Light uses Springsteen's music not only to exemplify how music and artistic culture itself can be a positive influence but how his songs specifically connected to people spiritually. The idea of Springsteen's American dream becomes Javed's only outlet in Luton and quickly becomes the driving factor in creating confidence in himself and his abilities but beginning to branch out from the expectations set for him by his father and his culture. Not just his Pakistani heritage but the culture of Luton itself, which has marginalised Javed in school, with his friends and has pigeonholed everyone in an archetype. Through Springsteen's music, Javed is able to break free from the expectations but is also able to see past the stereotypes he has placed on people in his own life. He sees his friends own insecurities, becomes understanding of his own families problems and over the course of film learns that Springsteen's music isn't just an excuse for him to finally break through and be himself but to allow himself a greater understanding of the world around him and not to selfishly think he has to one one who had problems.
Chadha's direction again allows for a great combination of drama and comedy that never detract from each other. The prejudice and hostile environment Javed and the Pakistani community face in Luton is treated as a proper threat creating great scenes of anger, tension and sympathy. These scenes then inform and enhance the dramatic moments between Javeed and his father but the comedy also coming from anecdotal moments or camaraderie rather than making light of their reality. Oddly enough for a film structured around the music around Bruce Springsteen, it is the musical interludes that are the most awkward parts of the film. From lyrics being superimposed onto the screen so you really understand how Springsteen's songs connect to the story or strange sequences of Javed and company singing and dancing through Luton, it has an odd pacing because Blinded by the Light has no set up to establish itself as a musical or fantasy. Having Javed break into a Springsteen number which then inspires a whole choreographed arrangement just takes away from the film's impressive realism.
Blinded by the Light does an excellent job however of capturing the feel and essence of its era not only from pop culture references but from the production design that creates the dreary entrapment of 1980's England. Chadha and her production team have Luton really come across as unescapable situation which adds stress upon Javed's and his family. Unemployment, skinheads, council estates and broken cars are just more cinderblocks that make Javed feel as if he is drowning which makes Springsteen's electric auditory entrances even more refreshing. The screenplay uses this environment well and Sarfraz Manzoor's involvement in the writing process gives it that extra level of fidelity in making Javed's experiences more relatable. While the more dramatic elements make devolve to more dramatic clichés and resolutions, the world of Blinded by the Light never feels unauthentic except for one poorly green screened sequence in third act. However even the roughest story beats of the film are elevated by its performances especially when Viveik Kalra and Kulvinder Ghir command the scene.
It's quirky but never absurd and does a fine job celebrating a musician's legacy through a unique viewpoint. Blinded by the Light may not stick the landing in every aspect but Gurinder Chadha delivers a satisfying emotional tale about father and son through the revolutionary power of music. It has an inspiring enthusiasm made more relevant by its cultural setting as fascism, racism and classism continue to plague British society today, to watch a character like Javed to find his independence through an outlet to combat these issues in his own way, with his own words shows how these struggles are not hopeless. The film works better when it focuses more on Javed's struggles with his family and Luton rather than as a Springsteen jukebox musical and Chadha struggles at points in finding the right balance of when to deliver the necessary moments. However when these moments hit, they hit well and make Blinded by the Light show how every outcast can find where they belong no matter the obstacle.
Director: #GurinderChadha
Cast: #ViveikKalra, #HayleyAtwell, #RobBrydon, #KulvinderGhir, #NellWilliams, #DeanCharlesChapman, #AaronPhagura
Release Date: August 9th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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