There have been countless musician biopics, especially since the dreadful Bohemian Rhapsody earned nearly $1 billion worldwide and won four Oscars. Although many have been much better, few have replicated the success. But they have replicated the formula: A tortured genius struggles, finds his musical brethren, reflects on his difficult childhood, and eventually becomes a massive success.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere doesn't deviate from this formula at all really. But if you're a massive fan of the Boss like I am, that probably won't matter to you. Based on Warren Zanes's book, the film closely follows Bruce's isolated recording of Nebraska. Highly respected among critics and diehard fans, the stripped-down follow-up to The River reflected his dark headspace.
While there is some magic to seeing Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) get inspired by Terrence Malick's Badlands and haunted childhood memories, what keeps the film from being burdened by clichés is Cooper's focus on Springsteen's deteriorating mental health. This is something that also elevated Love & Mercy, about the Beach Boys's Brian Wilson, above other movies about musical geniuses.
White is perfect casting even if he doesn't really resemble New Jersey's favorite son. In this film, Bruce is constantly on the verge of tears. And there's no one better at that than the man who's played Carmy Berzatto for four seasons and counting on The Bear. The only light that comes into his life during this time is Faye (Odessa Young), a single mother and genuine fan looking for real connection. Even if she weren't a composite character, their romance would be doomed, at least if you know anything about Bruce's future marriages. But there are some truly wonderful and tender moments between the two actors.
But occasionally the film undercuts itself. Authenticity is a huge theme, especially with Springsteen demanding his producer Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) and engineers stick to the raw sound of his original demos. And Bruce's famously contentious relationship with his father (Stephen Graham) gets plenty of flashbacks. But Cooper wholly invents some present-day reconciliation scenes, one of which is too cutesy. He and his DP also chose to shoot in crystal-clear digital, which makes the period detail come off as a bit phony. (I had this same issue with A Complete Unknown.)
Still, the film is never less than compelling, thanks to White's performance and the excellent music (played by White himself). Bruce Springsteen was a true original. It's a shame the movie isn't.
