Blinded By The Light Review
Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra) dreams of leaving the sleepy town of Luton, England to pursue a career as a writer, and who could blame him? With labor shortages, bigotry and an overbearing father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) trying to plan his life for him, there appears to be no escape. That is, until one night when Javed pops in a cassette of Bruce Springsteen and listens for the first time. The words of The Boss strike the young author's soul like a bolt of lightning and, for the first time, Javed feels that someone can relate to his plights. Through his new inspiration, Javed works towards his dreams, but a clash between generations with his father threatens to not just derail his dreams, but cause an irreparable rift in his family.
We're all looking for someone who can relate to our situations in life. It's a universal desire within just about every human being. People have a natural urge for connection, a yearning to be heard and to be listened to, to feel that they aren't alone. We don't always choose what inspires us. It could be as obvious as an uplifting movie or song, or as unconventional as a candy bar wrapper or a flower. But when you finally witness or hear that intangible spark of creativity or motivation to ignite the fire of your ambition, it changes everything.
Viveik Kalra gives a stand-out performance as hard-luck university student and aspiring writer Javed Khan. He carries himself like a young man with heavy expectations on his shoulders as well as the awkwardness of trying to come out of your own shell and embrace a more confident version of yourself. Kalra lays bear all the feelings his character experiences, perhaps to an over dramatic, even dare I say, corny degree.
If one isn't paying attention and not looking beyond the surface, one might consider Kulvinder Ghir's performance as Malik to be a bit one-note, especially as an antagonist. But it's always a good rule of thumb to remember: antagonist doesn't mean villain or bad guy. He's a loving, doting father who wants his son to be a provider for his family and a responsible adult. Malik finds writing to be a frivolous pastime and isn't a stable, reliable way to make a living. Well, he's not exactly wrong. His relationship and struggles to relate to and be a good father to Javed are equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming, even if you can see where the story is going.
There are parts where this movie almost wants to be a Springsteen-inspired musical, particularly a number where Javed, his girlfriend Eliza and his best friend Roops dance and run around Luten to Springsteen's classic "Born To Run." It starts at the university, then winds its way through a group of dancers in a town square, alongside a row of out-of-work factory workers and then to an open field. Though numbers like this are few and far between, the direction takes a more visually unique approach by having the words appear in various ways as the songs are being sung.
I'm no expert on Bruce Springsteen. I've only heard a few of his songs and I wouldn't consider myself a superfan. That being said, I don't consider that a requirement to understand the main themes of working hard and pursuing your dreams but never forgetting where you come from that the film ultimately espouses. Though there were times, and I said this to the friend I watched the movie with, it almost came off as Javed was proselytizing the gospel of The Boss. He quotes Springsteen lyrics in everyday conversation, tries to get everyone to listen to cassettes, it becomes close to obnoxious when he dismisses the music choices of a childhood friend. However, the film does show that condescension to other's tastes and opinions is foolish and not at all what Bruce is about.
"Blinded By The Light" is a fun, cheesy, over-the-top but heart-filled time at the theater. It gave me an appreciation of the power of music and it's ability to inspire change in a person's life, which can affect change in others.While there's no post credits sequence, the audience is treated with follow-ups on the real life inspiration for the movie, British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, who co-wrote the film's script. A sweet, touching end for an uplifting, if a bit corny, at times, experience.
If one isn't paying attention and not looking beyond the surface, one might consider Kulvinder Ghir's performance as Malik to be a bit one-note, especially as an antagonist. But it's always a good rule of thumb to remember: antagonist doesn't mean villain or bad guy. He's a loving, doting father who wants his son to be a provider for his family and a responsible adult. Malik finds writing to be a frivolous pastime and isn't a stable, reliable way to make a living. Well, he's not exactly wrong. His relationship and struggles to relate to and be a good father to Javed are equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming, even if you can see where the story is going.
There are parts where this movie almost wants to be a Springsteen-inspired musical, particularly a number where Javed, his girlfriend Eliza and his best friend Roops dance and run around Luten to Springsteen's classic "Born To Run." It starts at the university, then winds its way through a group of dancers in a town square, alongside a row of out-of-work factory workers and then to an open field. Though numbers like this are few and far between, the direction takes a more visually unique approach by having the words appear in various ways as the songs are being sung.
I'm no expert on Bruce Springsteen. I've only heard a few of his songs and I wouldn't consider myself a superfan. That being said, I don't consider that a requirement to understand the main themes of working hard and pursuing your dreams but never forgetting where you come from that the film ultimately espouses. Though there were times, and I said this to the friend I watched the movie with, it almost came off as Javed was proselytizing the gospel of The Boss. He quotes Springsteen lyrics in everyday conversation, tries to get everyone to listen to cassettes, it becomes close to obnoxious when he dismisses the music choices of a childhood friend. However, the film does show that condescension to other's tastes and opinions is foolish and not at all what Bruce is about.
"Blinded By The Light" is a fun, cheesy, over-the-top but heart-filled time at the theater. It gave me an appreciation of the power of music and it's ability to inspire change in a person's life, which can affect change in others.While there's no post credits sequence, the audience is treated with follow-ups on the real life inspiration for the movie, British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, who co-wrote the film's script. A sweet, touching end for an uplifting, if a bit corny, at times, experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment