117 Min
Cert: 12A
Cast Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Aaron Phagura, Nikita Mehta
Director Gurinder Chadha
Set in 1980s Luton (England) and telling the story of Javed, a Pakistani immigrant struggling with family issues and racism, who is inspired by the music of Bruce Springsteen to change his life for the better. Early scenes stop suddenly almost as if cut mid-sentence with the lines not given any time to breathe before moving to the next and the dialogue itself is often as subtle as a sledgehammer tied to a bulldozer (I actually laughed out loud a couple of times at how cliche some of the lines were).
There are a few musical numbers where characters burst into song which are so toe-curlingly bad I worried I would never be able to listen to Bruce again and songs are repeated more than in other recent films (Rocketman, Yesterday, Bohemian Rhapsody). Javed earnestly quotes lyrics at people who react as if he is some wise sage rather than an annoying teenager, although as a former annoying teenager myself, obsessed with Kurt Cobain, this did partly ring true.
After around 90 minutes I thought things did pick up slightly, a genuinely funny moment and some real drama, but then it just would NOT end, rivaling Return of the king for number of endings. I had genuinely wanted to like this film, and I am 100% it will connect with other people more than me but I found it predictable and corny, reminding me of a film you would be made to watch at school made by kids from the year above.
★☆☆☆☆
