Blinded By the Light Review
PG-13: For thematic material and language including some ethnic slurs
Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Levantine Films, INGENIθUS, Bend It Films, Cornerstone Films
Director: Gurinder Chadha | Screenwriters: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, Sarfraz Manzoor
Cast: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Ganatra, Nell Williams, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman
Release Date: August 9, 2019
1987. When music fanatic Javed discovers the illustrious back catalogue of The Boss, his world is turned upside down. Already a creative soul, his passion for music and writing is set alight by the songs of the working-class poet, whose lyrics feel all too familiar to the aspirational teenager. Yearning to escape his rundown hometown and the rules of his traditional Pakistani household, Javed finds himself caught in between two worlds and must discover if he too is “Born to Run”.
At Sundance this year, there were a number of purchases from film companies left and right. A24 grabbed a few films, NEON and Amazon took a number of them, and so did Netflix. But the big buyout that actually came from a Big Six — well, Big Five now (RIP Fox) — studio was Gurinder Chadha’s Blinded By the Light, a new cultural coming-of-age story that delighted audiences everywhere — in Park City. Immediately, New Line Cinema picked it up for an initial August release, which in retrospect this should’ve been released in June because it is a definite feel-good summer movie.
Set in 1987, Javed is a 16-year-old first-generation Pakistani kid living in Luton, England. Strangled by his family's traditional cultural values, where the father is the monarch with the dominant control, and being subjected to his hometown racism, his only form of escapism is his writing. Right as he’s about to give up all hope, he discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen and his entire life perspective changes. The Boss’s electrifying energy impacts him as he navigates through life. It’s like what Bandslam did with Bowie but with a cultural theme on identity.
Director Gurinder Chadha has been the go-to filmmaker when you need a conventional yet endearing coming-of-age story where the narrative beats are visible and the story centers on an ethnic teenager whose cultural parental figures disapprove of their dream, but the upbeat energy of the tone is impeccable. She delivered that with her beloved film Bend it Like Beckham, and Blinded by the Light is further proof that Chadha still got it. Bend It Like Beckham? More like capture it like Chadha.
The narrative follows the blueprint of every coming-of-age story, but what makes Blinded by the Light stand out from the crop is how Chadha captures the power of music. A ton of Bruce Springsteen fans are undoubtedly going to love this, and while I am unfamiliar with most of his work — DON’T CLOSE THE TAB — the film succeeds at capturing the universal connection musicians have with people. You never forget the chills you got when you first listened to a certain musician’s song, the chord that their poetic lyricism struck with you, and the impact it had on your spirit. On a personal note, I found myself in Javed’s shoes when I discovered the short-lived indie band .Fun when I was at a low point in my life. The album Some Nights is a special album that spoke to me on a personal level. So, seeing the usage of Springsteen’s hits and the effect they have on Javed is powerfully relatable. In other words, this movie is 100% my shit. Cheesy as hell? Yes. The dialogue is often weak and some of the characters are one dimensional, such as Javed’s traditional father who often reiterates himself. But the movie is aware of the cheese worn on its sleeve and is focused on getting you swept up in its happy, energetic spirit that pays tribute to Springsteen’s music and the personalized storytelling where culture and freedom play as major themes that never get stale.
There is a layer of — bear with me here — dorkiness to the narrative that you can't help but smile at. Once Javed discovers Springsteen, his entire lifestyle changes, turning him into a major fanboy (as he incorporates Bruce’s fashion style in his appearance, fills his room with Springsteen memorabilia, etc.) who takes his lyrics to heart. The music plays a role in the story as if it's its own character, for each decision Javed makes is influenced by a song’s verse. Seriously, Javed’s Walkman plays like a magic conch, and like Spongebob, he listens to every word and takes them literally. There are ample scenes where lyrics would affirm and enable his decision making. The script is cheesy like that but Chadha’s direction is so endearing, giving each Springsteen song used its own distinctive flair in its set pieces.
Newcomer Viveik Kalra delivers a breakout performance full of charisma, charm, and confidence to hopefully land him in future projects. His glowing energy carries the movie as he expresses a range of relatable emotions, from defeat to triumph, and you’re alongside him for the journey of the story.
I don't want to be that American film critic that pits this music drama featuring a male Asian lead against another music drama featuring a male Asian lead, but damn this is the energetic confidence that Danny Boyle’s Yesterday desperately needed. The upbeat energy is so irresistible and entertaining that you don’t even feel the two hour running time. This bears a stylish blend of reality and fantasy that allows the film to create an identity for itself.
God, I don’t know what else to say. Blinded by the Light is absolutely delightful. This is the definition of the term “feel-good movie of the summer.” It should've been out muuuuuch earlier in the year because it would've drowned out the junk of June, including Yesterday.
Blinded by the Light is a shameless, conventional coming-of-age drama that triumphs through its personalized endearment, earnestness, and energy that captures the universal power of music.
Rating: 4/5 | 83%
