Boss! With Bohemian Rhapsody becoming such a box office hit, further musically lead movies were inevitable. Since the Queen Biopic we have had Rocketman and Yesterday.
The latest movie guaranteed to get your feet tapping is Blinded by the Light.
Based on the real-life experience of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor (who co-wrote the script), it tells the story of a British-Pakistani Muslim teenager who feels trapped in 1980’s Luton. He wants nothing more than to escape to become a writer. As stated in the movie, he wants to build a bridge to reach his dreams without building a wall between him and his family – who do not agree with his life choices.
The protagonist feels angry and alone until the day a classmate throws a couple of Bruce Springsteen tapes his way. It’s like the singer knows everything the boy is feeling. Guided by the music, perhaps he can take the necessary steps to make things better.
Blinded by the Light is written and directed by Gurinder Chadha, the filmmaker who gave us Bend it Like Beckham. Replace football with fandom and you essentially have the same coming-of-age plot – just with the Boss’ greatest hits playing in the background.
IMBD has classed this as a musical and if that’s what you’re after, you’ll be disappointed. Apart from a couple of scenes that had a musical-esque feel to them, the songs mostly feature quite naturally in the background.
Many may be wondering if you must be a Springsteen fan to appreciate Blinded by the Light. I don’t think so. There are plenty of 80’s hits from other artists thrown in to keep most people happy – even those that aren’t a fan of the Boss at all. His music is a backdrop in a film that is perhaps more about love, family and finding yourself.
ESP Rating: 4/5
Mikey Clarke
Genre: Comedy & Drama
Running Time: 1hr 54mins
Written & Directed By: Gurinder Chadha
Cast: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikita Mehta, Hayley Atwell & Rob Brydon
See Blinded by the Light and much more at Showcase Cinema, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas UK’
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