It switches in one idolized celebrity for another, but thanks to the soundtrack of blistering Springsteen tunes, the connection between protagonist and hero is more keenly felt. It’s the latter relationship–as it did in Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, Greetings From Bury Park, on which the film is based–that lends Blinded by the Light its emotional weight.Īnyone who’s seen Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham will recognize the dramatic twists and turns offered here. Kalra anchors the film superbly, balancing teen angst, wide-eyed optimism, and a rebellious streak that puts him on a collision course with his father. The performances across the board are fantastic too. Like when Javed and Roops scream “Badlands” into the faces of skinhead bullies and a rendition of “Born to Run” that sweeps through school corridors and onto the streets of Luton. There are some fist-pumpingly brilliant sequences too. At other points, characters break into song and escape into fantasy, like in a “Thunder Road” backed serenade that makes fine use of Rob Brydon. At times Javed’s Walkman is the source with lyrics swirling up on screen to mirror his state of mind. Throughout his journey, director Gurinder Chadha supercharges the story with classic Springsteen songs “Born to Run,” “Backstreets,” and “Jungleland” are all present, while Boss aficionados will appreciate rarities like “Because The Night” (the big hit he penned for Patti Smith) and rejected Harry Potter song “I’ll Stand By You.”īlinded by the Light doesn’t play by any hard and fast musical rules. Clay, writing songs for his friend Matt’s new romantic band, and finds the courage to ask out classmate Eliza (Nell Williams). He’s penning poetry with coaxing from Hayley Atwell’s English teacher Ms. Inspired by Springsteen’s music, Javed soon begins to find his voice. He finds parallels between Springsteen’s struggles and his own–finally there’s someone else who feels exactly like he does, even if he is a white rock star from New Jersey. Springsteen’s songs of working class strife and escaping his home town, all energetic guitars and epic saxophone solos, sound nothing like the era’s synth-heavy hits from Pet Shop Boys or A-ha, but they are exactly what Javed has been searching for. Wrestling with his cultural identity, Javed finds clarity after his schoolmate Roops (Aaron Phagura) lends him a pair of Springsteen cassettes–the Boss, Roops says, is “a direct line to all that’s true in this shitty world.” Late one night, Javed slides Born in the USA into his Walkman and is electrified by the lyrics to “Dancing in the Dark.” Immediately he’s hooked.
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All of this plays out against the backdrop of rising unemployment, the encroaching National Front, and Thatcherism.
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A first generation immigrant, Javed is caught between the desire of his strict father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) to become a doctor or lawyer, and his own yearning dream to express himself through words and lyrics.
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For Blinded by the Light’s Javed (Viveik Kalra), a British-Pakistani boy growing up in ‘80s Luton, it comes in the form of denim-clad all-American rocker Bruce Springsteen. Sometimes you find salvation in the unlikeliest of places.