Blinded by the Light

Pakistani teenager Javed, stranded in Luton, finds meaning in life - and a girlfriend! and a career! - thanks to the Boss. In this fairytale, Javed can rebel against his oppressive dad without actually doing so. Javed sees his dad for who he is: a bully who exploits his slave-wife and who reigns as an absolute tyrant over his family. However, these are "traditional ways" and Javed is a boy, so he can embrace them .... tough luck if you happen to be female in that environment. Enjoyable first act, derailed into a predictable politically correct sermon. PS the cast is very weak and charisma-free; positively cringe-worthy during the musical numbers.

Could have been good if the cut all the musical out of it. Acting was poor and awkward. No one in the film looked like a real person.

Based in Luton, perhaps, but plenty of Hollywood reality in this. Thatcher's Britain, British racism, cultural differences within communities etc etc all have been dealt with better in other films. Much of the cultural focus could have been cut and pasted from 'East is East'. The film is too long and contrived, with every point being made repeatedly and without subtlety. However, the acting is good and if you are satisfied with a happy ending, this may be one to watch

Cringe,boring and some of the worst acting I've ever seen.....don't waste your time.

I just saw this in a Cineworld Unlimited screening and, other than having seen the trailer and thought it looked ok, knew very little of Blinded By The Light. Immediately a few people got up and walked out. Ten minutes in a couple more joined them. Others waited an hour, then popped off. Some of these people - though not necessarily in the same screening as me - have added their 1-star review to IMDb. These people should have their Unlimited cards confiscated and be barred from cinemas and writing reviews permanently. Sure, it's not a perfect film - Springsteen is shoehorned in a cringeworthy number of times and the narrative has a paint-by-numbers feel to it - but it's a cheerful film with a good message: do what makes you happy and don't be a douche. Those giving the 1-star reviews really did miss the second part of the message. Look, it's an ok film. If you like Bend It Like Beckham, you'll probably enjoy this. Of you're a massive 'The Boss' fan, you'll probably enjoy this. Don't trust the 1-star reviews; it's never a 1-star film. I'd probably really rate this 5 stars, but I'm adding one just to counter a couple of those walk-outs who feel justified in tarring a film with their own ineptitude.

I feel like they could have taken any rock/pop star and made this movie. To me it had nothing to do with Springsteen, it just capitalized on his songs and overdid it. Characters that I felt nothing for, stereotypes everywhere, predictable plot from the beginning and poorly executed dance scenes. So cringy I sometimes wanted to walk away. The movie began to touch on interesting topics like racism, pakistani culture or the rise of synth music, but it didn't dare to make something of it and had no edge.

Using music to lead the story is not new these days, somehow using music leads the story can have a very good result. However, this film will be the example of "how music can ruin a film". The whole story over-used Bruce Springsteen and his song. Two long music videos in the middle of the movie, expressing nothing but a boring atmosphere. Hearing Bruce's name or songs every five seconds, literally drove me crazy. If you wanna make a song and dance film, then go on that path. If you just want to use music lead the story, then just use it at an important point. The whole film stuck in the between of those two different kinds of film style. The lead character, the boy, his whole behaviour is unbelievable. What an idiot. Really not recommend this movie.

An insulting, and insultingly bad, movie. Badly made, badly written, acting that kids in a school play would be ashamed of - what was Springsteen thinking signing off on this? Was he blinded by the virtue signalling, and did he consider that two hours of "Yah boo sucks to the racists!" outweighed the cheapness, the naffness and the naivety of this pitiful outing? It repeats the all-too-familiar tropes we've seen in previous Asian-themed movies - the overbearing parents who just can't help saying the funniest things, for example - but with the weary, worn-out look of a fifth generation photocopy. The movie can't make its mind up whether to let Springsteen sing his own songs (while the lyrics appear onscreen for our enlightenment!) or have the characters blurt them out, High School Musical rap style. (Note to writers: the former). Possibly the most cringe-inducing moment of the movie (from a large field) is when our heroes "confront" three stage-school thugs in a café by declaiming Bruce lyrics at them. Why on earth didn't we think of that 40 years ago?? The movie pats itself on the back for its excess of virtue. The racists are easily spotted, because they ALL wear braces, half-mast jeans and bovver boots. The lead character goes to an idyllic school where there are NO racists! Not a single fellow pupil calls him names or bullies him. It's all singing, all dancing saintliness at this place of learning! There's a scene where a bunch of market stall holders (yes, that's MARKET STALL HOLDERS, famous for their liberal views) and their customers sing and dance with the Muslim and Sikh leads, and another in the town hall square that couldn't be more of a rip-off of (the wonderful) Sunshine on Leith if it tried. There's a one dimensional love interest - she's feisty! She hands out leaflets - the lazy movie-maker's shorthand for "she's an activist". We first see her slouching defiantly at her desk, but when the teacher badmouths "Maggie Thatcher" she sits up and smiles, having found her tribe - her surliness lasting all of ten seconds. Speaking of Thatcher, another hilarious scene has our hero purchasing an NME (glossy full colour ad for a Bruce tour on the back page? WRONG!) at a news stand, emblazoned with "placards" that look like A4 sheets from a printer, displaying an Eighties' Greatest Hits of headlines - "Birmingham Six Appeal Denied!" "Thatcher Elected Longest Serving Prime Minister!" etc. It's absolutely laughable. The "climax" is an NF march that looks more like a bunch of kids being led to the swimming baths by school staff. Someone gets a bloody nose! OMG! Weren't the Eighties dreadful?? I won't say "avoid", because there are laughs aplenty to be had at the amateurishness of it all. But shame on those "respectable" reviewers who praised this - have some guts and tell the truth, for goodness sake.

The acting is fresh and charming, and direction is pacy and generally engaging. But once this tale gets stuck in the tramlines of its "Bend it Like Beckham/Billy Elliot" youngster aiming to shake off parental oppression, you know EXACTLY where it's going to take you. Apart from the nasty National Front scenes towards the end, this is a film with very little tension and next to zero surprises, plot twists and turns. And if a story lacks that in a film, then it really has a problem. It descends into a series of box ticking narrative requirements. I've read the book and it was funny and humane. But this film has not really delivered on the original text. It could have been so much better with a riskier and more daring script that wasn't afraid to get off those predictable "tramlines."

I absolutely love the music of Bruce Springsteen. When I got into his music a few years back, I instantly became enamored with his albums namely Darkness on the Edge of Town. When I saw the trailer for this, I was instantly hyped. This looked a bit like Danny Boyle's Yesterday. A film about a talented brown guy who uses a classic rock act to better his life and land a beautiful girl. I was always going to like this but I felt an identification with the character and the music as an inspiration and the idea of chasing what you believe in. The film is about a young Pakistani high school kid who has to deal with racism and the pressures of his traditional family, in 1980's Luton, England. A friend of his introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, and he quickly becomes influenced in all facets by the music of the Boss. Relating to the words of Springsteen, he uses this as fuel to get the girl he likes, chase his dreams of becoming a writer, and butting heads with his family namely his strict and overbearing traditional father. Great acting all around, with a very impressive debut by Viveik Kalra. Nell Williams is beyond gorgeous. The music and use of songs in this music is fantastic. Couldn't help but sing along. Its true what they say, Bruce made songs that related to the working class and the struggles that people faced at work and in life. With all its profound lyrics as a backdrop, the film manages to touch on important issues of xenophobia (which are still present today) and the struggles that can come with familial expectations not lining up with ones own goals. As a brown male myself who works on developing his skills and chasing a better life, I identified with a lot of this film. Heck, I even travel to Luton and Bury Park every year on vacation. So, I really felt this film. I'm all for breaking out and chasing happiness and bettering yourself in life. Therefore, I found this to be a real and identifiable film. I think if you like the work of Springsteen and the influence he has as an artist, then this will resonate very well for you. I recommend a watch for everyone though. 8/10