In the new biopic "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere", Bruce Springsteen's (played by Jeremy Allen White) journey from struggling musician to rock star is told with dedication to truth, but somehow loses its soul.
When most people think of Bruce Springsteen, they picture the Boss as a charismatic performer, wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, with his bandana-clad head, delivering non-stop hits in front of massive stadium crowds. However, that's not exactly how it started.
The biopic takes us back to 1984/5 when Springsteen was wrestling with fame, deciding whether to pursue what he'd later refer to as "the big road." The film is a decent biopic with some interesting moments and strong performances, but overall, you walk out underwhelmed, which is not an adjective that generally applies to anything Bruce Springsteen does.
The story is told through the making of the record "Nebraska", which came after "The River" and before "Born in the USA". Most people know this lore, so it's a great opportunity for the film to explore some lesser-known facts. We see Springsteen reading Flannery O'Conner and watching Terence Malik's "Badlands," as well as making guest appearances with local Jersey Shore bands on the club circuit.
But what really sets the biopic apart is its focus on music. We watch Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen, writing songs in his notebook. This is how Springsteen actually does his songwriting – except, he's using a fine felt-tip marker, not a ballpoint pen like he does today.
While we get to see some powerful performances and interesting moments, there are also black-and-white flashbacks to Springsteen's childhood that provide an essential context for the music. This is how we understand why Springsteen wrote songs with such darkness – it stems from his own traumatic experiences.
The Springsteen parents, as portrayed in the film, are two-dimensional characters that don't quite fit into what fans know about Springsteen's writing. The inconsistency of these characterizations starts to add up and detract from our overall experience of the biopic.
But then there is Jeremy Allen White's portrayal of Bruce Springsteen – fantastic. He brings a physicality and singing voice that feels incredibly real, especially in his performances off-stage where he doesn't have a band to hide behind. Even when he's alone with Jon Landau (played by Jeremy Strong), the chemistry between them is palpable.
The film also has some great moments of Springsteen performing live – but even these aren't always convincing. The most obvious place where Springsteen loses himself as an artist is on stage, and that might be due to a mix-up: while performing at the Stone Pony, he's playing with real musicians (members of Greta Van Fleet), which makes everything feel more authentic.
However, when it comes to depicting his E Street Band members, some actors just aren't convincing. The portrayal of Clarence Clemons as awkward and gangly is particularly jarring – this was not how the man was known for being.
One aspect that does stand out in the film is its recreation of Springsteen's recording process. We see him laying down tracks with his band at a studio, but unfortunately, we also get too much repetition from that scene. When asked to make music more interesting for the movie, it feels like some scenes drag on and do not advance or illuminate the core narrative.
If you walk out of "Deliver Me from Nowhere" feeling like you want to hear Springsteen's album "Nebraska," well, you might be disappointed – but that 4-CD box set being released to tie in with the film is perfect for die-hard fans who need this content.
When most people think of Bruce Springsteen, they picture the Boss as a charismatic performer, wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, with his bandana-clad head, delivering non-stop hits in front of massive stadium crowds. However, that's not exactly how it started.
The biopic takes us back to 1984/5 when Springsteen was wrestling with fame, deciding whether to pursue what he'd later refer to as "the big road." The film is a decent biopic with some interesting moments and strong performances, but overall, you walk out underwhelmed, which is not an adjective that generally applies to anything Bruce Springsteen does.
The story is told through the making of the record "Nebraska", which came after "The River" and before "Born in the USA". Most people know this lore, so it's a great opportunity for the film to explore some lesser-known facts. We see Springsteen reading Flannery O'Conner and watching Terence Malik's "Badlands," as well as making guest appearances with local Jersey Shore bands on the club circuit.
But what really sets the biopic apart is its focus on music. We watch Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen, writing songs in his notebook. This is how Springsteen actually does his songwriting – except, he's using a fine felt-tip marker, not a ballpoint pen like he does today.
While we get to see some powerful performances and interesting moments, there are also black-and-white flashbacks to Springsteen's childhood that provide an essential context for the music. This is how we understand why Springsteen wrote songs with such darkness – it stems from his own traumatic experiences.
The Springsteen parents, as portrayed in the film, are two-dimensional characters that don't quite fit into what fans know about Springsteen's writing. The inconsistency of these characterizations starts to add up and detract from our overall experience of the biopic.
But then there is Jeremy Allen White's portrayal of Bruce Springsteen – fantastic. He brings a physicality and singing voice that feels incredibly real, especially in his performances off-stage where he doesn't have a band to hide behind. Even when he's alone with Jon Landau (played by Jeremy Strong), the chemistry between them is palpable.
The film also has some great moments of Springsteen performing live – but even these aren't always convincing. The most obvious place where Springsteen loses himself as an artist is on stage, and that might be due to a mix-up: while performing at the Stone Pony, he's playing with real musicians (members of Greta Van Fleet), which makes everything feel more authentic.
However, when it comes to depicting his E Street Band members, some actors just aren't convincing. The portrayal of Clarence Clemons as awkward and gangly is particularly jarring – this was not how the man was known for being.
One aspect that does stand out in the film is its recreation of Springsteen's recording process. We see him laying down tracks with his band at a studio, but unfortunately, we also get too much repetition from that scene. When asked to make music more interesting for the movie, it feels like some scenes drag on and do not advance or illuminate the core narrative.
If you walk out of "Deliver Me from Nowhere" feeling like you want to hear Springsteen's album "Nebraska," well, you might be disappointed – but that 4-CD box set being released to tie in with the film is perfect for die-hard fans who need this content.
. They did a great job capturing Springsteen's songwriting process, but some parts felt a bit forced, like the 2D characterization of his parents 
. And can we talk about how awkwardly they recreated his E Street Band members on screen? Clarence Clemons would've never looked that gangly 
. On the other hand, Jeremy Allen White's portrayal of Springsteen was fire 
! He nailed the physicality and vocals of the Boss. What did bother me more, though, was how the film lost some of its soul when it came to depicting Springsteen performing live 
. It felt like they were trying too hard to make everything feel authentic. Still, if you're a die-hard fan, that 4-CD box set is gonna be a dream come true 
.
it's like they lost his soul, you know? i mean, the film tries to show us how he went from struggling musician to rock star, but some parts feel off for me. especially the portrayal of Clarence Clemons 
it didn't feel authentic at all.
but sometimes it felt like we were just watching the same scene over and over again. i was waiting for something more exciting to happen in that studio 
was actually really good, especially when he was performing live 
then i guess this film is worth checking out. but for me, it was just okay 
the biopic does justice to Springsteen's story, especially when it comes to his music 
. The way they recreated his recording process is super cool 
, and Jeremy Allen White's performance as Springsteen is spot on 
! The film also explores some interesting facts about the making of "Nebraska" 
...
. They got some cool facts and performances going on, like Jeremy Allen White's spot-on Springsteen impersonation 
. Still, overall, it feels like they lost a little bit of that soulful magic 
. And, man, the portrayal of his parents? It's just two-dimensional characters that don't quite fit what we know about Springsteen's writing style.
. But if you're looking for a biopic that really captures Springsteen's soul, you might wanna keep looking 
, but the characterizations just feel off 
especially with Springsteen's parents, they're just straight outta left field 
. 
), then this biopic might be for you 
. just don't expect it to change your life or anything 
!
i'm so confused by this biopic - they're trying to tell us about bruce springsteen's journey and it just feels like a bunch of random stuff strung together 
jermey allen white nails his performance as springsteen, he's like the real deal 
but then they mess up with the e street band members lol what were they thinking? 
it's hard to connect with them on an emotional level. And don't even get me started on the E Street Band portrayal 
Clarence Clemons' character was just awkward.
. And I'm not sure why they had to change the way Springsteen wrote songs back in the day... it's like they were trying too hard to make something new out of an old story 
.
. The focus on music was a great idea, and Jeremy Allen White's portrayal of Springsteen felt super authentic