Review: Blinded By The Light

Blinded By The Light
Cert: 12A / 117 mins / Dir. Gurinder Chadha / Trailer



Truth is a powerful weapon, not to be brandished lightly. 'Inspired by true events' is a worrying caption-card with which to open a film. It's not the bold proclamation of 'this really happened', nor even a 'based on'. No. 'Inspired by'. This ironically apologetic disclaimer sets out the stall for what's to come, suggesting that the film is quite possibly so far removed from the reference-section that it's been stored in a different postcode. 'Inspired by' is a tactic used by The Conjuring films. Yeah.

But anyway, Luton exists. As does Bruce Springsteen. Welcome to 1987.

RISING

Bedfordshire, England, the arse-end of the 80s. In an era of spiralling unemployment, rising racism and a questionable singles-chart, Teenager Javed (Viveik Kalra) is unsettled. He wants to pursue a political writing career through his A-levels*¹, but is torn between the obligations of a domineering father (Kulvinder Ghir) and his hopeful pop star best friend Matt (Dean-Charles Chapman). But when a fellow student (Roops, Aaron Phagura) lends Javed a pair of albums by Bruce Springsteen, a new world opens before him. Righteous angst and social awareness meet through the medium of The Boss's music, a global language of dignified rebellion.

Blinded By The Light is the new feature from director Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham, Viceroy's House). It's a coming-of-age tale which blends comedy, drama, aspiration, nostalgia and commentary, funnelled through a combination of idealism and naivety. It's a brave and different film, and I wish I'd liked it more.

EVIL UNDER THE

That's not to say I don't admire the hell out of what it's trying to do. The enthusiasm and commitment from the cast and director is clear, and the central angst between Javed's family is biting (although that probably feels a little more dated than even it should). It's just that Chadha gets the sweetness right but struggles with the overall drama. And the problem is that no one will be watching this for the sweetness. We're never quite sure if the film is a memoir, a critique or some weird wish-fulfilment fantasy.

The 1980s setting is well and truly mined for content, with the production design being way over the top, if anything. Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory, this feels more like a pastiche than a snapshot in time*². Because to play the old-man-card, no one in the UK had Flock Of Seagulls haircuts in 1987, not least because their last Top 40 single had been three years earlier. And I'll freely admit that when Javed is narrating his way around the cliques and gangs in the college dining room and points out "the Wham! boys", four young men who all dress and style like George Michael, I heartily guffawed. Didn't fucking happen, mate.

PEOPLE UNDER THE

The needledrop-soundtrack is relentless in both its pacing and ADHD mood-setting, dropping in some of the absolute worst music the era had to offer. I expect Tiffany and The Pet Shop Boys in there (fuck it, I like the latter in there - that's about it), but when the characters started getting down to some serious Level 42, I knew we were in a weird alternate dimension where cool bands never happened.

And then Javed discovers Bruce Springsteen. Yes, our hero is a pop music aficionado and budding political songwriter who apparently has heard of Bruce Springsteen by 1987, he's just never listened to any of his actual music. That's a 17yr old lad in Luton, who has a spiritual awakening hearing an artist whose core demographic seems to be disgruntled manual workers who just like barking along in arena gigs and being told they're having a good time. Bruce Springsteen, the Heartland Rock equivalent of Coldplay, producing CDs for people who don't like music, just a groaning, wheezing, dreary righteous belief that blue jeans pickup trucks somehow make everything better*³.

ONE FLEW OVER THE

And dear lord, how the film drags then. On-screen lyrics of Bruce's songs and arty projected backdrops are an interesting touch, but make the whole thing feel like a student film which got out of hand. And borderline singalong sections threaten to jump into fantasy mode (although these are done to the backing of the original tracks, rather than re-recorded versions). I'm sort of glad the film doesn't go full High School Musical, yet at the same time I'm annoyed that it clearly wants to but hasn't got the bottle.

Crucially, Blinded By The Light doesn't communicate why Springsteen is so special to its leading man, only that it is. We see Javed being excited by listening to the music, and that's supposed to be enough to sell the idea wholesale, as if an audience hearing these tunes for the first time will be similarly enraptured. News for you pal: no. I should make clear that I had no particular feelings on Bruce either way before sitting down to watch this. Afterwards, however? Well, see the previous section.

TWICE AROUND THE

The film is funny in places, affecting in others, and I'm sure it'll find its audience. Yet at the same time, the script seems to enjoy pointing at the social dirt of the era, while also being afraid to get any under its fingernails. And I don't think The Boss would approve of that.

Why can't Richard Curtis write a film where Bruce Springsteen never existed, and after about twenty minutes the protagonist realises he's basically okay with that?

I am glad Blinded By The Light exists, I just wish I'd found more to enjoy in it*⁴.

Well, it wants to be a morally uplifting version of Beats.
It comes off more like Sing Street but with racism and a terrible soundtrack.
A terrible, terrible soundtrack.



If the trailer does it for you, why the hell not.



If you're merely curious, this can wait until streaming.



Difficult to say as it's mostly populated by unknowns (to me, at least).
With the best will in the world, everyone here can (and I sincerely hope will) do better.



That's likely, yes.



There isn't.



Level 2: Hayley Attwell's in this, and she was in Captain America: The First Avenger with Sam 'Windu' Jackson.





*¹ I'll tell you what, if I'd had Agent Carter as a teacher in the sixth form, I'd have gotten even less done than I did anyway. That said, I'd have spend a lot more time paying attention to the front of the class. ^{[ BACK ]}

*² A bit like having Peter Kay sitting in the corner of every single scene bellowing "Hey! D'you remember Top Deck Shandy and flecked trousers and Maggie Thatcher being printed or mentioned on every available surface, conversation and news item? What were THAT about??". ^{[ BACK ]}

*³ Do not 'at' me. ^{[ BACK ]}

*⁴ Should probably also point out that I didn't know I was going to see this, it's not like I went in for a hate-watch. It was a Secret Screening, where the title of the film is unknown to the audience until the BBFC card arrives. Still, I gave it a go, and They Can't All Be Winners, eh? ^{[ BACK ]}


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• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
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