Movie Review

Springsteen inspires in lightweight but effective Blinded by the Light

Whether coincidental or purposeful, Hollywood is in a stretch where studios are making movies designed to be carried by the music of popular singers or bands. In the last 10 months, we’ve seen biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, along with films like Yesterday and now Blinded by the Light, which use music to enhance unfamiliar characters.

Blinded by the Light is “inspired by the true story” of Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra), a Pakistani teenager growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Javed loves writing lyrics for his friend Matt (Dean-Charles Chapman) and poems, but inspiration doesn’t truly hit until a Pakistani friend, Roops (Aaron Phagura), introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Javed soon takes every word Springsteen sings to heart, using them in assignments to impress his English teacher (Hayley Atwell) and to win over Eliza (Nell Williams), a girl he likes. They also help him deal with hard issues like overt racism and a period of unemployment in England that hits the country hard, including his father (Kulvinder Ghir).

Directed and co-written by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), the film is a lightweight drama that mostly sticks to feel-good elements. Javed has to deal with multiple instances of discrimination and is growing increasingly disenchanted with the stifling ways of his family, but all of his troubles seem to find an answer by listening to Springsteen again.

Chadha introduces fantasy elements in multiple scenes, blurring the line of reality just enough to make us wonder if what we’re seeing is meant to be taken at face value. Sometimes it’s obvious, as in sequences where Javed listens to Springsteen’s music while lyrics are projected on buildings and structures around him. Other times, characters start singing in a way that’s only halfway in the style of a musical, with some people participating and others just staring at the spectacle.

Unlike the music of Queen, Elton John, and The Beatles, the music of Bruce Springsteen doesn’t quite have a sing-along nature. Only a few of songs included, like “Dancing in the Dark,” “Hungry Heart,” and “Born to Run,” have remained popular enough through the years to be familiar. But Chadha does an effective job of showing that it’s Springsteen’s deep and personal lyrics, in contrast with the poppiness of '80s singers like Debbie Gibson or Tiffany, that makes his music more meaningful and lasting.

Save for Atwell, there’s not one familiar face in the cast, but that doesn’t stop them from making a great impression. Kalra is rightfully the star of the film, as he has an ability to adapt to a wide variety of emotions. Williams only serves as a romantic partner for Javed, but she still brings an element that sets her apart. And Phagura steals almost every scene he’s in with his unbridled enthusiasm.

To its credit, Blinded by the Light tackles some difficult topics while showing the joy that music can bring. Bruce Springsteen may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the movie does a great job of demonstrating the impact his music can have on those willing to listen.

Viveik Kalra in Blinded by the Light.

Viveik Kalra in Blinded by the Light

Photo by Nick Wall

Viveik Kalra in Blinded by the Light.

Movie Review

Sheriff Bob Odenkirk is back in over-the-top new action movie 'Normal'

Bob Odenkirk in Normal

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

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Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

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