Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Directed by Scott Cooper, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere follows Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) as he struggles to complete (and release) the introspective 1982 album Nebraska. It’s compelling subject matter that is, for the most part, employed to engrossing effect by Cooper, as the filmmaker, armed with his own script, delivers a slow-moving yet consistently compelling drama that benefits from its engaging narrative and commanding lead performance – with, in terms of the latter, White’s often spellbinding turn as the tortured central character matched by such eclectic periphery players as Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, and Stephen Graham. And while Cooper does a nice job of fleshing out Springsteen’s personal life, including a recurring emphasis on the protagonist’s agreeable ongoing encounters with Odessa Young’s Faye, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is at its best when focused on Springsteen’s methodical attempts at building Nebraska from the ground up – much to the chagrin of the various folks in his life. Cooper’s decision to dwell a little too specifically on Springsteen’s depression within the comparatively sluggish third act can’t diminish what’s otherwise a solid biopic, and there’s little doubt, as well, that the picture’s closing stretch packs far more of an emotional punch than one might’ve anticipated.

***1/2 out of ****