Movie Review - Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper
Genre: Drama/ Music
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Stephen Graham, Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, David Krumholtz, Gaby Hoffmann, Grace Gummer
 
Description: Bruce Springsteen’s journey crafting his 1982 album Nebraska, which emerged as he recorded Born in the USA with the E Street Band.
 
Review: “Springsteen: Deliver me From Nowhere” is a biopic about Bruce Springsteen. But not the type of biopic you would usually get when a musician’s story is told. It’s not the story of his life and the rise of him as a musical artist. We follow a specific part of his life and career, where Springsteen was writing songs for the album we now know as “Nebraska”. A very personal album, that Springsteen needed to make, when everyone around him wanted him to make an album with hits.

Bruce Springsteen is one of the most influential musicians of our time. We know a lot about his music, his life, we think we know Bruce through his music. In “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” director Scott Cooper focuses on a more unknown part of his life. It delves into the creation of the album “Nebraska” and shows a different, darker side of Springsteen, separate from his energetic stage persona. That the film has a darker tone, is the reason why many people don’t like this. But I believe that’s the strength of this movie. We have all seen the same type of biopic about musicians. “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” dares to show the darker side of Springsteen’s life. It doesn’t shy away from the pain that lies at the heart of an artist and shows that Springsteen struggled with depression. It also shows the artistic integrity that Springsteen had. The meaning of his music was more important to him than having hits. And no one supported him, but his manager Jon Landau. Who was always in his corner, he trusted Springsteen and supported him, even when he thought it wasn’t the decision he would make. This film had an emotional impact on me, I found it deeply moving and honestly told. Especially that final scene really touched me.

Jeremy Allen White portrays The Boss and I have nothing but praise for him. He managed to capture Springsteen’s intensity, rather than just imitating him. White shows the struggle Springsteen had with success and with his past. The fact that he did all the singing himself and learned how to play the guitar, just adds to that. Close your eyes and it’s like you’re listening to Bruce. And he did look the part too, he resembled a young Bruce Springsteen. Jeremy Strong delivers a great performances as well, as John Landau. And I also want to highlight Stephen Graham, as Bruce’s father. I can never fault him, but the few scenes Graham is in, really impacted the story.

I was surprised that this film didn’t do that well at the box office, but also not so surprised. And the ratings are average. I feel like people expected a very Hollywood-like biopic, all sunshine and rainbows. The story of a young Bruce, who started making music and then breaks though. We’ve seen it way too many times, so I can only praise Cooper for showing the emotion, the depth, the darker side of the life of one of the most successful rock stars. Because the album this film focuses on, “Nebraska”, reflects this as well. To me it was a perfect movie and a must-see for every Bruce Springsteen fan. I saw it with my dad, who is a big fan, and he was amazed by the film. That says a lot for someone who only stays awake during war or action movies. Take it from me, this film did so much for me and I think “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Judge

Director: David Dobkin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. Robert Duvall, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Leighton Meester, Dax Shepard, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 33: A FILM WITH ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
 
Description: Big-city lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his childhood home where his father (Robert Duvall), the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth; along the way he reconnects with his estranged family.

Review: Hank Palmer is the last person to care what others think of him. The unstoppable lawyer tells it like it is. Hank is the kind of person who dares to speak the truth, even if others would rather not hear it. He admits that the white-collar criminals he defends are most likely guilty, and that doesn’t bother him: “Innocent people can’t afford me”.

When he returns to his hometown, after his mother passed, he is confronted with everything he fled back then. The untouchable lawyer from Chicago does care about other people’s opinions. In fact, he appears to be deeply hurt. The difficult and destructive relationship with his father is the reason for his departure, years ago. And now his father, the local judge, is suspected of murder. Hanks tries to uncover the truth, and father and son both grow closer and come into direct conflict with each other.

“The Judge” boasts an impressive cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton and Vincent D’Onofrio. The first tow in particular are given plenty of room to shine. Downey Jr. is irritating, moving, unyielding and vulnerable all at once. His comedic talent and timing are beyond question. With Hank Palmer, he manages to portray a decisive but also wounded prodigal son.

Director David Dobkin takes the time to introduce the characters and clarify the relationship with the family. the underlying tension between the father and sons is constantly palpable from the moment Hanks returns.

It is also clever how Dobkin unfolds the story. “The Judge” is above all a relational drama, but it is also a courtroom drama. On top of the flawed father-son relationship, there is the murder allegation, which interact with each other, but beyond that there are even more subplots. And all but one of these subplots I really cared about. I didn’t care about the love interest part of the story. They could have left that out.

The film has well-developed characters, excellent performances, a clever structure, and good suspense. I would recommend “The Judge”.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Review - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Director: Aaron Sorkin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Sacha Baron Coehn, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alex Sharp, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Ben Shekman, J.C. MacKenzie, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton

Description: The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

Review: Director Aaron Sorkin wrote the script for “The Trial of the Chicago 7” as early as 2007, but due to the writers’ strike in 2008 the film was cancelled at the time. The fact that the project has now been revived undoubtedly has to do with the spirit of the times. The years 2016 to 2020 have brought back the sixties and seventies, with all their public protest and blurring of political norms. So it’s not a bad idea to translate the important stories of that tie to the big screen. Steven Spielberg did this earlier with “The Post”, which zoomed in on the publication of the Pentagon Papers and thus advocated bold journalism to keep politics in check. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” takes a similar approach. And although the filming took place a year ago, the past months of civil protests and excessive police violence have only made the story more topical.
The so-called Chicago 7 are the leaders of various organizations that travelled to Chicago during the Democratic Convention of 1968 to protest against the Vietnam War. Although this protest was meant to be peaceful, it degenerated into a situation in which activists clashed with the police. They are prosecuted, with the accusation of conspiracy on the table. A rather bizarre accusation, since these people hardly knew each other before they arrived in Chicago. But then again, this is not a well-founded lawsuit conducted for the public interest. This is the newly formed Nixon government that will teach those ‘know-it-all hippies a lesson.  
The intriguing thing about the lawsuit is that the defendants represent totally different organizations and in some ways have a very different way of life, even though they were pursuing the same goal with their protest. During the trial, however, the public prosecutor brings them all together, whether they like it or not. However, there differences in attitude to life mean that not everyone wants to conduct the trial in the same way. Some simply want to prove their innocence, while others see the trial as a good opportunity to publicly make the point they travelled to Chicago for at the time. Sorkin wisely does not take sides in this. It is up to the viewer to decided which is the most appropriate way of protest.
“The Trial od the Chicago 7” is probably one of the purest courtroom dramas ever created. For the most part, the film is set in the courtroom and only shows the story in flashbacks when the details are discussed in the trial. This happened mainly with witness statements, in which there is often a jumping back and forth between different angles.
What makes “The Trial of the Chicago 7”especially worth watching is the impressive line-up of actors that Sorkin has at his disposal. It might not be a real star cast, but it’s one of the strongest ensemble casts we will see this year. Mark Rylance is perfectly cast as a passionate and pragmatic lawyer, Frank Langella puts down a deliciously hating judge and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is allowed to elevate the role of prosecutor to something more human than what is usual in courtroom movies. And while is may seem somewhat lazy to present Eddie Redmayne as a good student and Sacha Baron Cohen as a transverse hippie, as idealistic opposites they end up surprising the most. Their acting duel towards the end is a true highlight.
Overall, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is a really strong film, with a story set in the past is stull topical today. Especially today.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Movie Review - The Gentlemen

Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Crime/ Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan

Description: An American expat (Matthew McConaughey) tries to sell his highly profitable marijuana empire in London, triggering plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

Review: After directing some more conventional films like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Aladdin”, Guy Ritchie returns with a movie that is more his style. More than 20 years after “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” Ritchie is back with a type of film that he’s best at. It’s a clever, quick and self-written British gangster film that is fast-paced and never has a dull moment.
A lot of the plot elements in this film a recognizable from movies like “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”, where it’s about big deals. In “The Gentlemen” this deal is the sale of a British marijuana empire, lead by the American Mickey Pearson. Many people show interest and have their own reasons for it. And that sometimes a machine gun needs to be fired or a fist fight has to happen, only adds to the spectacle.
Like the other aforementioned movies by Ritchie, there are several plots going on. Essential is the one of tabloid journalist and movie director wannabe Fletcher, played by Hugh Grant, who I am thankful for leaving his romcom image aside. He isn’t a gentleman at all and doesn’t mind bribing or blackmailing a drug lord. Fletcher know exactly what is going on in this world and even writes a script for a film. This script is presented to Pearson’s right hand Ray, a gangster played by Charlie Hunnam (these two were definitely my favorite element of the film, they are so good in it). This is the main plot line in the film and is connected with several others. And soon you realize that almost everyone has a double agenda and isn’t as loyal as you might think. A lot of intrigue and betrayal. With that, the film has dry and dark humor, which Ritchie is known for.
The movie might not have the most original story, but if you are a fan of Ritchie’s previous work it won’t bother you. Because it has all the elements that his other crime films had and what make him such a great filmmaker. If you likes “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”, you will enjoy “The Gentlemen” as well.

Rating: 4 / 5