"Blinded By The Light" Review - Taking you By The Hand

It’s been a slow Summer for movies in my opinion. Only 6 have hit my must see list, and only one three of them are original screenplays. Two of those originals are based on a hit songwriter’s catalog of music. The one that of course didn’t get enough traction this weekend at the box office and lost to movies people have seen a thousand times before (like Lion King and Hobbs and Shaw) is “Blinded By The Light”.

This coming of age movie that takes place in 1980s England is a strong piece of work that stands on its own through not only it’s well written characters and history; but it’s analyzation of how Bruce would say, “the ties that bind”. Those ties being mainly family and music. The story has been done before, I won’t lie about that. It also may feel a bit too 80s campy at some points, but the standout Pakistani and English actors blend and work off each other so well that it makes this classic screenplay feel fresh and enjoyable all over again. Of course, it does help when your soundtrack is that of The Boss.

I personally would probably connect to this film more than others simply because its main analysis is how our brains connect to certain types of music more than others. For Javed, this particular main character, it’s Bruce Springsteen. Granted, Bruce has had a lasting impact on more people than you can ever imagine (including my mom). But it’s nice to see through a young boy’s eyes WHY that is. Is it his voice, his lyrics, his guitar playing? That’s the pool this film dives into, and we all can relate to that in some way. Javed even has to struggle dealing with current day music he despises, which made me feel like I was looking in a mirror. But in the end, “Blinded By The Light” shows no matter what decade, there are reasons why we fall in love with artists. Whether it be Taylor Swift, The Beatles, or for me personally, Meatloaf, we all have a getaway for ourselves to take us out of the depressing parts of our lives we hate to live. It’s the best part about music no matter what genre you love most. Boy did I get so deep there all of a sudden. Hahahaha!

At the end of it all, it’s a very enjoyable film. It’s not perfect, nor is it Oscar worthy, it’s more than just a jukebox musical. You will learn something about yourself, and hopefully fall in love with The Boss whether it’s your first time or all over again.

Two Nebs Up!