Blinded by the Light (2019)

Picked this one up on a whim. I watched a part of the trailer and figured I couldn't go wrong with a movie that heavily involved Bruce Springsteen music. I was right.

The story is about a Pakistani teenage boy living with his family in England. It's set in the 80s which was ripe with racism against Pakistanis as well as a major unemployment crisis. The main character wants to be a writer but his father wants him to choose something practical. Once the main character 'finds' Bruce Springsteen, his life changes.

There were a lot of different components o enjoyed about this film. It was a look into racism in a country other than the United States for once. It was a look at the state of the UK in the late 80s. It was a look into the traditional Pakistani family. And it was a look into how much power words have, in this case, through the lyrics of Springsteen.

I will admit that I've enjoyed much of Springsteen's music in the past but until this film I never truly paid attention to the lyrics. They fit the story so well, as they should add it was based off of the real life story of Javed. Unlike some other films that try to just throw in the hits and try to make a scene around it, this one tied the music into the character with far greater success.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was about family and individuality both. If there is any complaint I have, it might be that they didn't spend much time on the best friend story so I didn't care as much about him.

Yes, I'll recommend this one without hesitation.

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