Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere review – The Boss battles his demons | Films | Entertainment

Hollywood has been overloaded with rock star biopics over the last few years, from Elvis and Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocketman and A Complete Unknown. Now it’s Bruce Springsteen’s turn (with approval from the Boss himself) and the result may not be exactly what fans were expecting.

The usual cliché of rags to riches, followed by a journey of self-discovery via unfulfilling hedonism and the artist’s greatest hits, is largely absent here.

Like its subject matter, the recording of his 1982 album Nebraska, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is an unconventional departure from the genre norm as it zooms in on a significant period in the Boss’ life and career.

Sure, Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan movie had a similar focus with the Bard turning electric, but only after the typical depiction of a star’s rise.

Whereas Springsteen skips all this, opening with the Boss and his E Street Band performing Born to Run in the early Eighties, still riding his 1975 record’s breakthrough success.

Lookalike Jeremy Allen White stars as the Boss in an impressive (and no doubt Oscar-nommy) performance, capturing the singer’s swaggering mannerisms and hoarse vocals despite having little knowledge of the subject matter prior. Based on Warren Zanes’ book of the same name, Deliver Me from Nowhere follows an introspective Springsteen as he battles his demons, finding inspiration for his new record in his complex relationship with his father (Stephen Graham) and his blue-collar upbringing. Captured on a 4-track recorder in his New Jersey bedroom, the Boss’s manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) backs the artistic integrity of the acoustic Nebraska in the face of record company orthodoxy.

There would be no singles, no press and no tour to promote the album that still hit No 3 and led the way to Springsteen’s global stardom with Born in the USA just two years later. Writer-director Scott Cooper’s biopic is ambitious and bold, capturing such a pivotal moment in the star’s career, all while he was living with depression. Yet this 2 hour feature overstays its welcome, becoming more sleepy than soulful. It’s hard to imagine it being remembered much beyond this upcoming awards season despite its worthy subject matter.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere hits UK cinemas on Friday.