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This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in a scene from \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.\u201d (Macall Polay\/20th Century Studios via AP)\nJoe\u2019s Take<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s Take<\/p>\n
In \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,\u201d Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White transforms into iconic rock star Bruce Springsteen. What starts out as a traditional musical biopic becomes an introspective study of Springsteen\u2019s mental state during a trying period in the Boss\u2019 personal life and career.<\/p>\n
More subdued than exhilarating, \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d doesn\u2019t reach the heights of \u201cA Complete Unknown,\u201d last year\u2019s electrifying musical biopic of folk legend Bob Dylan. Instead, the thought-provoking drama peels back the curtain on Springsteen\u2019s battle with depression, showing the rock star at his most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
The limited biopic, based on the book \u201cDeliver Me From Nowhere\u201d by Warren Zanes, follows Springsteen as he\u2019s recording his revelatory 1982 album \u201cNebraska.\u201d Springsteen is coming off his first hit, \u201cHungry Heart,\u201d and is on the brink of superstardom. But the rock star finds himself in a period of artistic doubt. While the seeds of \u201cBorn in the U.S.A.,\u201d one of the biggest-selling records of all time, are being planted, Springsteen is compelled to tell a different story first.<\/p>\n
Feeling the pressure to produce a hit album, Springsteen turns to an acoustic, stripped-down sound, writing and recording dark, confessional songs in his bedroom. Looking inward, the rocker aims to come to terms with his tumultuous relationship with his father, Douglas (Stephen Graham), an abusive alcoholic with mental health struggles.<\/p>\n
As Springsteen\u2019s own mental health worsens, the rock star receives support from his loyal manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), guitar tech Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) and love interest Faye Romano (Odessa Young).<\/p>\n
\u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d is an exploration into melancholy. It seeks to understand its titular artist through the intimate nature of his songs. During its first act, the film follows the conventions of its genre. Springsteen performs the joyful \u201cBorn to Run,\u201d receives congratulations on his first hit song and starts dating Faye, a down-to-earth single mother. It feels a bit aimless until the story narrows in on Springsteen\u2019s journey writing \u201cNebraska.\u201d That\u2019s when the film finds its focus. This isn\u2019t about Springsteen achieving career success: It\u2019s about him experiencing a mental breakdown.<\/p>\n
At two hours, the film\u2019s deliberate pacing allows Springsteen\u2019s journey to breathe. Under director\/writer Scott Cooper\u2019s grasp, the narrative structure alternates between the present time and flashbacks. The flashbacks, filmed in black and white, center on Springsteen and his father. Though the flashbacks connect to Springsteen\u2019s songwriting, they slow down the plot, dragging down the pace. They can also be too on the nose. However, there is one flashback \u2014 which sees the past and present collide \u2014 that proves effective.<\/p>\n
Known for his work on the highly acclaimed series \u201cThe Bear,\u201d White lacks a physical resemblance to Springsteen, which can be disconcerting at first. However, the actor gradually disappears into the role. The dedicated White channels the Boss\u2019 blue-collar vibes and the way the rocker carries himself. The actor does his own singing when he\u2019s performing on camera, having trained for seven months. Capturing Springsteen\u2019s introverted personality, White is cool without trying to be. But as Springsteen\u2019s struggles overwhelm him, the disciplined White lets his emotions trickle out until they become a deluge.<\/p>\n
With \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d coming out within a year of \u201cA Complete Unknown,\u201d it\u2019s fair to compare the two biopics. \u201cA Complete Unknown\u201d felt like a rousing concert film at times, with stirring performances by the excellent Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet as Dylan and fantastic Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d features several Springsteen songs, but they\u2019re mostly played in a morose vein.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not a Springsteen fan, but I liked several of the songs from the \u201cBorn in the U.S.A.\u201d album when I was a kid. I couldn\u2019t help but bop up and down to the title track in my seat when White sings it during the film. However, the songs from \u201cNebraska\u201d are performed within the film\u2019s melancholic context. \u201cNebraska\u201d and \u201cMansion on the Hill\u201d are heavy with sadness. \u201cI\u2019m on Fire,\u201d which made it onto the \u201cBorn in the U.S.A.\u201d album, is played during a pensive moment. The film doesn\u2019t want moviegoers to dance to its songs. It wants us to listen and contemplate the lyrics, and realize what Springsteen was going through.<\/p>\n
The film\u2019s supporting cast provides a solid support system for Springsteen. Unlike \u201cA Complete Unknown,\u201d where Dylan\u2019s friends and associates questioned his decision to go electric, Springsteen has the full backing of his crew to take his music in a different direction.<\/p>\n
The masterful Strong, who received a best supporting actor nomination for \u201cThe Apprentice\u201d at this year\u2019s Academy Awards, may get back-to-back nods for his role here. The actor is compassionate and nonjudgmental as Springsteen\u2019s faithful manager Landau. A quiet force of nature in his own right, Landau goes to bat for the rocker, calmly defending the Boss\u2019 radical vision for \u201cNebraska\u201d and seeing it through. Everyone should have someone steadfast like Jon Landau in their corner.<\/p>\n
In addition to Landau, the legendary rocker relies on Mike, his trusted sound engineer. Adding onto his esteemed body of work, the talented Hauser is delightful as his character helps Springsteen find the right sound for \u201cNebraska.\u201d The grounded Young portrays Faye as genuinely caring about Springsteen the man, not the rocker. She tries to be there for him as he struggles to connect with her. I really liked Harrison Gilbertson as Springsteen\u2019s devoted friend Matt, who provides comfort during a pivotal time.<\/p>\n
In exploring the rock legend\u2019s deteriorating mental health, \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d excels as a call to action. Throughout the biopic, the music icon \u2014 who was involved with the making of the film \u2014 is depicted dealing with real-life problems and trauma. Despite his superstar status, Springsteen\u2019s struggles with depression make him relatable. Allowing his story to be told onscreen \u2014 and revealing his private pain \u2014 may encourage those watching to seek professional help for their own mental health issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d is a good musical biopic, not a great one. Instead of a concert film, it\u2019s a pensive examination of one of the greatest rock stars of all time. The film shines a spotlight on mental health struggles.<\/p>\n
After starting out conventionally, the film finds its rhythm when it delves into Springsteen\u2019s embattled psyche. Though the flashbacks don\u2019t fully work, the performances do. Channeling the rock icon, White displays grit and sensitivity. Strong is a standout, delivering an award-worthy turn.<\/p>\n
The biopic deconstructs the rock legend through his own music. For Springsteen and for others battling the darkness of depression, the film shows there is a light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n
3.5 out of 5 stars<\/p>\n
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in a scene from \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.\u201d (Macall Polay\/20th Century Studios via AP)
\nJoe\u2019s Take<\/p>\n
I tend to enjoy music biopics, although most of them are flawed to varying degrees. Last year\u2019s \u201cA Complete Unknown\u201d was excellent with a number of top-notch performances. \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d is certainly entertaining, although an overrated film. \u201cStraight Outta Compton\u201d proved stellar. I even enjoyed \u201cWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.\u201d All these films had one thing in common. They had energy, no matter the quality. \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d trades in the energy for a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen\u2019s depression. Except the dive wasn\u2019t that deep, leaving the audience with a surface-level and lifeless film that holds back the great performances.<\/p>\n
Although he doesn\u2019t look like him, Jeremy Allen White is excellent as the rock legend. As a fan of White, especially from \u201cThe Bear,\u201d the only thing that threw me off was his contact lenses to turn his eyes brown. He has very pronounced blue eyes, so to see that change looked strange. Other than that, White disappears into the role. He always does such a nice job acting with his face and body language, not having to say anything. He also does an excellent job singing, and proves a believable musician and rock star. When he sings songs from \u201cNebraska,\u201d it was really touching. He\u2019s also relatable, as he struggles with fame, his past and potential relationships.<\/p>\n
Jeremy Strong transforms into Springsteen\u2019s friend and manager. Everything about his performance, from the way he talked, walked, smiled, truly impressed me. He has a history of getting very into his roles, and here it totally pays off. He stays even-keeled for most of the film, so when he shows that emotion it has weight. There\u2019s a part in this film where his stoic face eases into a teary smile, and it\u2019s just an incredibly powerful sequence. He has a great chemistry with White. I wish the film explored their relationship more.<\/p>\n
Odessa Young (Faye Romano) also shares a natural chemistry with White. They make me care about their onscreen relationship quickly. Paul Walter Hauser (Mike Batlan) is always fun to see, and provides small moments of desperately needed humor. Gaby Hoffman (Adele Springsteen) is excellent as Bruce\u2019s mother. She\u2019s loving and fearless. Stephen Graham (Douglas Springsteen) is a great character actor, and he\u2019s solid again as Bruce\u2019s father. Matthew Anthony Pellicano Jr. does a great job as young Bruce. He also does a lot with his nonverbal acting.<\/p>\n
If this film wanted to focus on Springsteen\u2019s battle with depression as he made this \u201cNebraska\u201d album, that\u2019s fine. I\u2019m all for it. I love a film with a focus. However, everything in the film is still surface level. It shows us numerous flashbacks that all tell the same story \u2014 Springsteen\u2019s father was a bad guy who hit his kid, his wife and was a drunk as he battled his own demons. Show don\u2019t tell is obviously what we\u2019re always looking for, but there wasn\u2019t any sequence that was unique. It was all the same idea. We didn\u2019t see what the father struggled with, we didn\u2019t see a lot of interaction. There\u2019s one flashback scene that takes it up a level, when young Bruce hits his father with a bat, but overall the flashbacks were repetitive and didn\u2019t have a major impact on the movie. They just slowed the film down.<\/p>\n
The movie doesn\u2019t delve enough into why this \u201cNebraska\u201d album is so important. It also spreads Springsteen\u2019s relationships so thin that it doesn\u2019t focus on any one in particular. There\u2019s the relationship with his mother, the relationship with his father, the relationship with his girlfriend, the relationship with his manager, the relationship with Hauser\u2019s character. Again, the relationship I wanted to see more of was the one between Springsteen and his manager. Every time White and Strong were on screen together, the movie clicked.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s weird because the setup all seemed right. The film focuses on a moment of his career. The casting is fantastic. It\u2019s showing us scenes instead of telling us. However, it tries to touch on too many things that happened within that time period. The film builds up to an ending resolution that is abrupt because it seemed like the studio didn\u2019t want the movie to go a minute over two hours.<\/p>\n
Because of the decision to try to explore Springsteen\u2019s depression, the film is devoid of fun or humor. There\u2019s one concert sequence to start the film, where White sings \u201cBorn to Run.\u201d There are a handful of funny moments, if that. And that\u2019s it. Writer\/director Scott Cooper does not make movies that are knee-slappers, but a movie about Springsteen should probably have some more energy. Or, it needed to commit to really diving deep into Springsteen\u2019s depression and the importance of \u201cNebraska,\u201d and we just didn\u2019t get enough of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere\u201d proved a disappointment. There were excellent performances, and the setup was solid. However, the film was surface level and dull. It had a vision of the time period it wanted to focus on, but didn\u2019t have a good enough focus within that time period to give a proper deep dive into anything.<\/p>\n
2.5 out of 5 stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rebecca\u2019s Take In \u201cSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,\u201d Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White transforms into iconic rock star…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1681,3896,178,180,179,12875,289],"class_list":["post-18192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-take-2-movie-blog","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}