BLINDED BY THE LIGHT – “An inspirational crowd pleaser”

BlindedByTheLight

RATING

DIRECTOR

Gurinder Chadha

STARRING

  • Viveik Kalra as Javed
  • Hayley Atwell as Ms. Clay
  • Rob Brydon as Matt’s father
  • Kulvinder Ghir as Malik
  • Nell Williams as Eliza
  • Dean-Charles Chapman as Matt
  • Aaron Phagura as Roops

SYNOPSIS

Is inspired by the real life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor  and is based on Manzoor's acclaimed memoir Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll.

Javed is a British teen of Pakistani descent growing up in 1987 England and writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in the powerful lyrics.

REVIEW SUMMARY

More than just a celebration of Bruce Springsteen’s greatest hits, Blinded by the Light is an inspirational crowd pleaser with a truckload of heart. This true to life retelling does a wonderful job of marrying the Boss’ life-affirming music with that of a British Pakistani teen navigating his way in the world. Surely, Springsteen fans will revel in the jukebox-like soundtrack, but trust me; this isn’t just for Bruce-fanatics (although, I’m sure you’ll be hard pressed not to want to sing along to the likes of “Born To Run” and “Promised Land”). Moreover, the movie features some rather poetic visuals featuring Springsteen’s iconic lyrics, literally putting them on the screen at opportune times throughout. And while the story does admittedly veer towards “cornball” on occasion (ok, more than that), it never loses its all encompassing sweetness. The character dynamics help as well, with an abundance of heart to be found in Javed’s many relationships, from family members to schoolteachers, and everyone in-between. Plus, the film’s retro vibe is also really fun here; giving way to the best of everything the 80’s had to offer (the hairstyles alone are phenomenal). Safe to say, this little diddy of musical inspiration is one that will have you screaming its praises from your “hometown” to the “streets of Philadelphia!”

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