Blinded By The Light Review: Gives The Heart, Gives The Soul
- naterichard98
- Aug 17, 2019
- 2 min read
DIRECTED BY: GURINDER CHADHA
STARRING: VIVEIK KALRA, NELL WILLIAMS, & HAYLEY ATWELL RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL AND LANGUAGE INCLUDING SOME ETHNIC SLURS
LENGTH: 117 MINUTES
Every summer there comes a movie that is so heartwarming, has so much soul, and is able to stand it's ground and leave an impact among the constant giant blockbusters, yet feels as if nobody talks about it. It is not the darling indie that goes on to land some Oscar nods and it is obviously not the top-earner of the season, instead it's that movie that not a lot of people have heard about, that might be because the studio didn't do a good enough job marketing the film or it had a limited release. This year, that hidden movie is Blinded by the Light.
The film is partially based off the memoir by British-Pakistani journalist Sarfraz Manzoor titled Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll and follows 16 year old Javed, a Pakistani Muslim and aspiring writer living in the run-down English town of Luton whose family has come on hard times and faces almost daily discrimination from the skinheads in the area. During his first day at a new school Roops, another Pakistani student, introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, which he sparks an instant connection with.
The film at times plays like a quasi-musical, with several scenes set to Springsteen songs such as Badlands, Thunder Road, and of course in probably the most entertaining scene of the film Born To Run. There's plenty of laughs, a particularly humorous running gag has Javed's father continuously calling Springsteen Jewish; but there is also a surprising amount of heart in the film particularly when it pertains to Javed's relationship with his strict yet concerned father. It doesn't matter who you are or where one is from, but almost everybody is going to find something in this movie that they'll connect with and really respond to, leading to a third act that really packs a powerful emotional punch.
The entire cast is terrific, though newcomer Viveik Kalra shines bright in the lead role of Javed and shows so much promise for his future in acting. The supporting cast is especially solid as well, with Kulvinder Ghir as Javed's father, Aaron Phagura as Roops, Nell Williams as Javed's new girlfriend and Hayley Atwell as Javed's English teacher are having some great moments.
It is a shame that not more people are talking about Blinded by the Light, as it is easily one of the most crowd-pleasing, heartwarming, and touching films that has come out this year and is one that definitely warrants a recommendation.
Comentários