Blinded by the Light

This August hasn't been productive so far. There were a few movies I wanted to see already, but things changed. But I found time to see a movie after all. It's Blinded by the Light, based on Sarfraz Manzoor's book Greetings from Bury Bark. Let's see how it is.

Manzoor is represented in the film by Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra). In 1987, Javed and his Pakistani family are trying to get by in their Luton, England neighborhood. They suffer from a bad economy and racist bullies. Javed is an aspiring writer, but his father, Malik (Kulvinder Ghir), refuses to let him go beyond Luton. 

A new classmate, Roops (Aaron Phagura), introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. The Boss's lyrics invigorate Javed's life. He gains confidence as a writer, gets published and gets a girlfriend, Eliza (Nell Williams). But while Javed's future gets brighter, his family's troubles get darker. How will he mend his relationship with his parents?

Manzoor wrote the film with director Gurinder Chadha and her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges. It's a great case for Springsteen's - or any pop culture figure, for that matter - resonance. We see how Springsteen's songs of the 70s resonate with a young man of the 80s. We also see how Javed's poems resonate with people. This resonance works outside the movie; we might see parallels between Britain of the 80s and the US right now. Socio-political parallels.

The main characters are a nice bunch. Javed is a likable dreamer. We emphasize with him as he faces numerous setbacks. We laugh as he hijacks his school's PA to play Springsteen. His newfound optimistic determinism is inspiring. Malik is a strict father who tests the audience's trust with his harshest actions. But we emphasize with his desperation as he faces debt. His acceptance of Javed's dream and their reconciliation is heartwarming.

There's also a few musical scenes. They don't pop up until about a half-hour in, but they're worth it. A few numbers have Springsteen's lyrics fly across the screen; in others, Javed and co. burst into song. Springsteen's music is a great set list, even including a previously unreleased track, I'll Stand by You. There's also a great, softspoken score by AR Rahman. Another technical highlight is its recreation of the Great Storm of 87. The roaring cyclone is a surprisingly appropriate time to get into Springsteen. Ben Smithard's cinematography perfectly illuminates the fantastical and realistic parts of Javed's life. The production and costume designs perfectly complete the film's vision of the 80s.

Blinded by the Light is a fine late summer film. It's a meaningful family dramedy/coming-of-age story that stands out amongst the blockbusters still around. It's an appealing look at a bygone era, even if it's not that sunny. It's worth seeing at least once even if you're not into Springsteen. The film's 118 minutes will go by relatively quickly. 

Hobbs and Shaw

One's a current lawman, and the other's a former hitman. Together, they fight crime with cars. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, two of the most memorable characters in The Fast and The Furious movies, have a movie for themselves. It's called Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

This time, Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) have to deal with the cyborg card carrying villain Brixton Lore (Idris Elba). Brixton wants the Snowflake super virus for his evil organization, Eteon. But MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), Deckard's sister, injects the virus capsules into herself. She now has seventy-two hours to extract them from herself. Otherwise, the virus activates, kills her, goes airborne and kills half the world. 

Hobbs and Shaw are called to save the day together. But they hate each others' guts. Hattie has no patience for their bickering. They have to work together to stop Brixton and his shadowy leader from getting the virus. Hobbs will have to reconcile with his estranged family in Samoa to save the world.

Everybody got that?

At 133 minutes, this film runs somewhat shorter than the last film. But even that felt too much. Its numerous story elements move along at a bit of a slow pace. A few story elements, like Brixton's origin, are overwhelmed by the numerous car chases. Others, like Brixton framing Shaw for massacring her team and absconding with the virus for evil, stretch credibility. I know the past few movies stretched credibility too, but some of the stuff here is a giant leap. As of now, I'm only mildly curious as to who the mysterious Eteon leader is.

There's quite a bit to enjoy here. Hobbs and Shaw's bickering is still entertaining. The opening sequence, as edited by Christopher Rouse, nicely compares the two as they go about their days. Another scene compares their skills fighting henchmen in a hallway. They do their best to get through the plot. It's also refreshing to see Brixton honestly introduce himself as the "bad guy." I'd like to see him take on the main cast of the franchise, but given how the film ends, it's unlikely.

There's plenty of new faces here. The best one is Hobbs' CIA handler Mr. Locke, primarily because he's played by Ryan Reynolds. I almost didn't believe it was him. But it was and he got the film's best lines. Kevin Hart also has a surprise cameo as an air marshal who helps our heroes get to Samoa. He needed a little more screentime than two scenes. The members of Hobbs' Samoan family, including Cliff Curtis as brother Jonah and Lori Pelenise Tuisano, were a good bunch. They all play a surprisingly effective role in the final battle against Eteon.

The Fast and the Furious movies are looking less like gritty street racing movies and more like GI Joe with fast cars. Look to Hobbs and Shaw for proof of that. It's stupid, cliched and a bit dull, but a few concepts are entertaining. It's not a loss. It's OK for a matinee. Let's see how Dominic Toretto and his crew handle things when the next movie opens ... whenever that is.