The British Indian filmmaker behind such cheerful comedies as Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice might not seem like an ideal interpreter for New Jersey’s greatest and grittiest songwriter. To say as much is not to diminish his music, but to explain why he fits so well in the oeuvre of a director like Gurinder Chadha. Unfortunately, it’s just not quite there.Bruce Springsteen, poet laureate of the American worker, musical essayist of that ineffable feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place, is very much a heart-on-sleeve artist. With its multiple side stories and countless filler scenes, this story dreams of being a movie. As Javed read and wrote essay after essay, the most important being the story of his family, I could not help but think that an essay would have been a better format to portray the story within this film. It is this pursuit that ultimately disenchanted my viewing of this film. Not only does this cause hardship for the family on a national scale, but it internally drives a rift between father and son as our lead, Javed, goes against his father’s more traditional wishes for him in pursuit of being a writer. While initially the 1980’s setting seemed like an inconsequential, nostalgic blast from the past, it made a laudable use of this background by examining the struggles faced by immigrant families in Thatcher’s England. Looking beyond its technical faults, Blinded by the Light’s virtues lie in its commentary on the turbulent social fabric that the country saw at the time. The text on screen is especially aesthetically bothersome and exemplifies the movie’s incapability of subtlety. The musical scenes often feel like cheap music videos. The noncommittal energy concerning its musical elements extend beyond the characters. The fine line separating musical and reality is too muddled and, no matter how good Springsteen may be as a lyricist, it’s impossible to watch someone relentlessly recite his lyrics in natural conversation and not feel uncomfortable. The thing it does wrong, however, is give these actors the most unnatural and bizarre dialogue. Rob Brydon as a corny dad and Aaron Phagua as a Springsteen fanatic are the main standouts here. These characters may be overly sweet, but they are undoubtedly endearing. One thing this movie does right is make you want to like these actors. All of these stories amount to an overly saccharine mixture that seems overly manipulative of audience’s heartstrings. The characters seem more like stereotypical caricatures within the protagonist’s mind before they seem like actual human beings. Although the filmmakers may have had a vision of the amalgamation of the tea and crumpet Brits, the deeply traditional immigrants, the aggressive skinheads, and the progressive teens rising up against the establishment that makes up their perceived world of 1980’s Britain, most characters here feel nonessential to the protagonist’s journey, and most side stories within it distract from his ultimate quest. Many of the subplots, characters, and scenes make the final cut feel like a first cut. Most of this film’s flaws could visibly be fixed by going back to the editing room. While English filmmaker Gurinder Chadha’s coming of age romp certainly becomes more focused and exciting as it goes on, it takes an awful long time to get there. However, this Sundance darling is too centered on Springsteen to be a relatable experience about finding an artist that speaks to you and too distracted by its internal issues to really make any meaningful use of its core premise. So the story of a British-Pakistani boy finding salvation from his dreary, small town life through the discovery of the music of Bruce Springsteen sounds like something everyone would be able to recognize in some way or another. It’s not only a relatable experience that binds lovers of rock and rap, it’s a transformative experience that has the power to change the way one dresses, the way one speaks, and the way one acts. Most can look back at their lives and pinpoint a time in which they had a sort of spiritual awakening through the discovery of some band or song. Blinded by the Light(Gurinder Chadha) 2 out of 4 stars.
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