There's been a lot of music movies lately. Maybe that's because the world is a bit of a shitshow at the minute, and the generally upbeat attitudes that these films have is a pretty effective tonic. You don't have to be a Bruce Springsteen fan to enjoy Gurinder Chada's Blinded by the Light. And even if you don't share Blinded's level of Boss fandom, it's really hard not to get swept up in the sheer delightfulness of it. The film (based on a true story) follows Javed, a teenager from a Pakistani family living in England in 1987. His life is less than stellar, with Thatcher's Britain being incredibly bleak and difficult to live in. It doesn't help that the country is rife with racism, which makes life pretty hard for Javed and his family. He's understandably feeling totally lost, not quite sure of his identity or how he fits in. It's at this point that The Boss comes into his life, with the music of Springsteen completely inspiring him and allowing him to see the world in a different way
Right off the bat, it's not too hard to apply this story to the world we're living in, although the parallels aren't the point. For the most part, Chada keeps that stuff subtextual. This is a totally feelgood story about finding the courage to discover your voice. It's easy for a film to have energy, but what really makes this work is the amount of spirit it has. That's what makes a difference, what gives an overdone story new life, and as a result of this passion and enthusiasm, the film is genuinely feelgood, not pandering or hollow but sincere and honest. It acknowledges the difficulties of growing up, and the harsh truths of our hero's surroundings, but finds triumph and warmth and humour in these difficulties. Javed is an easy protagonist to root for, particularly because of Viveik Kalra's spirited performance. This guy is definitely gonna be one to watch out for, because he's just outstanding here. He nails Javed's angst, but also his passion and naivety. It's an incredibly sincere performance, one that immediately puts us inside Javed's world, and so when the heartwarming moments hit, they feel earned. Kalra is the heart and soul of Blinded by the Light, and his earnest, genuinely likeable performance is what allows this film to deftly avoid clichés or over-sentimentality.
The film treads familiar story beats. Most of this has been seen in other films, but what makes Blinded stand out is that spirit. The Springsteen soundtrack gives it some personality, but the sheer amount of energy and likeability is what makes this film feel fresh. It's so easy to love Javed and want to follow his story, even though we've seen a lot of his struggles before. His relationship with his father in particular feels well done. That's something that could have felt clichéd, but the warmth and realism is what makes it work. This is a genuine film, one that's good natured and sincere, and that's why it works as well as it does
One thing I love as well is how the soundtrack is incorporated into the film. They're not musical numbers as such, but the scenes where the songs are almost like fantasy. It's the words and music of The Boss leaking into Javed's world, giving him courage and energy that he wouldn't have otherwise. They're fun, but they work because of what they represent for our hero. The free him from his grey reality, open his eyes to the truth in his life, and give him the power to stand his ground. The soundtrack lets us feel exactly what he's feeling, and the sequences where the film lets The Boss tell the story are the absolute highpoints
The film runs on pure passion, and not everything in the story works. There's a story about Javed's sister that feels like it finishes before it starts, not to mention an excursion to New Jersey that doesn't do too much for the plot, with the film literally showing postcards from Javed and Roops' trip. These are definitely stumbles, but even then, they're the film trying things that don't quite work, but in this case, it's the effort that counts. Yeah, they're not great, but there's still something admirable about this movie trying different things and not quite having them pan out. Chada isn't playing it safe here, and even when something doesn't quite work, the fact that she tried to deviate from what you'd expect from this story is kind of cool in itself.
Blinded by the Light is absolutely fantastic. It's pure passion from beginning to end, a powerful, spirited ode to being young and finding your voice. It's strengthened by Bruce Springsteen's music, but not defined by it. The music is incredibly important to the film, essentially allowing you to feel Javed's epiphanies as they happen, but it's not a Bruce Springsteen film. At the end of the day, this is pure, high quality feelgood cinema. It's emotionally driven, optimistic and good natured, so much so that, when it doesn't quite hit the mark, it's easy to forgive. Viveik Kalra is on his way. He's absolutely sensational here, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. This is without a doubt one of my favourite films of the year so far, funny, honest and uplifting. I absolutely loved Blinded by the Light, and I cannot recommend it enough.
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