Tuesday, August 20, 2013

SPRINGSTEEN & I

In a nutshell: Compiled from over 300 hours of homemade fan footage, this heartfelt love letter to 'The Boss' (Bruce Springsteen) examines the powerful bond an artist can make with his fans. From all over the planet, the selected few get their 15 minutes of fame to explain to us, why Bruce matters so much to them...



If you were the producer of this very specific type of movie, clearly the key element to making a 'fan footage' documentary work well is in picking the most iconic artist who best exemplifies the many reasons why millions hold that person in such high regard. With that in mind, it was, as i repeatedly say, a 'no-brainer'. C'mon on, who else has such devoted fans? Who else who clearly has such a massive worldwide following as big as the guy they choose? The one, the only, Mr Bruce Springsteen!

Director Baillie Walsh got the mix almost near perfect (Hey, a couple of them were less than compelling, but that's a minor niggle in the scheme of things). However, the people they did get right though, they were all very entertaining - for many varied reasons. My favorites were the hyper-stressed mother with her kid who clearly did not stick to HER SCRIPT! (Poor bugger probably got a right ear-bashing afterwards!) and the long-suffering husband 'dragged along' to endure hours, and hours, and hours of BRUCE, when he quite pointedly states that he is NOT A FAN! Then there's the guy as Elvis, the guy driving in his car, all adding their own unique thoughts on what BRUCE means to them - and more. Much more.

Once Springsteen gave this project his blessing, he rather generously allowed access to never-seen-before clips from his long career. Some of them are a revelation - to say the least. For a Bruce fan, this is a goldmine of unfamiliar footage that reassuringly reminds you, even very early on, this dude had an attitude that would not only endear himself to many, but also highlights an astonishing work ethic that puts many others in his field to shame. 4 hour shows? With consummate ease. Time after time. Even today, at 63 years of age, he displays a remarkable capacity to "give 'em more of what they want - more of me!". It's never clear who will wave the white flag first - Bruce - or his fans.

Springsteen & I has been expertly put together, the chosen segments are carefully edited to craft a story that is a significant reminder of how damn great Bruce is at what he does. Perhaps more crucially though, he never relinquishes the deep bond with the people that ultimately decide your greatness (or not), the loyal fans who love his artist contributions with heartfelt abundance.

Tramps like him? Baby, he was born to run. And then some...

J for... Jewel!

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