Review: Springsteen' isn't really a biopic that's 1 reason why it's so good

"Music biographies often follow a non-fussy trajectory, rallying its base with nostalgic re-creations of big concert moments and a sturdy timeline that begins with one idol's birth and ending on a critical juncture in its subject's life or even death. Director and screenwriter Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, The Pale Blue Eye) scraps much of that and hones in on more risky terrain, the metaphysical crisis and near breaking point in the life of one of our greatest musical forces Bruce Springsteen, The Boss."

"That focus makes a huge difference focusing on the nature of an artist rather than his career and creates a far more nuanced, moving portrait about a fragile musician reluctantly approaching the perilous brink of international stardom while confronting demons that both threaten to destroy him and fuel his creative fire. The result of the artistic and personal tussle was Nebraska, an intensely personal, cathartic and stripped-down album that remains one of Springsteen's most revered albums."

"Cooper uses Warren Zanes' book Deliver Me from Nowhere as the framework to sensitively craft how this New Jersey native (played with perception by Jeremy Allen White) in 1981, holed up in a Spartanly furnished home in Colts Neck after a successful tour with his band, riding the success of The River album. It was there that Springsteen used a 4-track recorder to do what was least expected, or wanted, of him, creating what would go on to be the critically raved about album Nebraska."

The film abandons standard music-biography formulas to concentrate on Bruce Springsteen's metaphysical crisis and the moment before major stardom. The narrative centers on Springsteen in 1981, secluded in Colts Neck, recording raw 4-track demos that became Nebraska. The portrait examines childhood abuse by an alcoholic father and a steadfastly supportive mother through black-and-white flashbacks. Manager Jon Landau provides patient, empathetic guidance as Springsteen wrestles with demons that both threaten and fuel his creativity. The result is a restrained, intimate depiction that mirrors the austere, cathartic tone of the Nebraska album and illuminates the artist's fragile psyche.

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