Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffman, Marc Maron, David Krumholtz, Harrison Gilbertson, Grace Gummer, Chris Jaymes, Johnny Cannizzaro, Brian Chase
Running Time: 119 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

In Scott Cooper's low-key, surprisingly contemplative Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, we get a portrait of an uncompromising artist attempting to escape his past, his childhood, his own father and the  fame that began to engulf him in the early 80's. Bruce Springsteen's journey is recognizable, but that's less a flaw with the film than confirmation of how often personal pain powers the work and ambition required to achieve greatness. For Bruce, it was always about the music first, even as his celebrity became an unintended consequence he'd rather ignore. 

Problems often arise when films of this genre employ a traditionally linear approach, cutting corners and running through tired clichés to reach the finish line. So it's to Cooper's credit that he doesn't attempt to cram the entire life and career of the Boss into a two-hour window, instead staying true to Warren Zanes' 2023 book covering the creation of his riskiest album. It's more a fading snapshot of a specific era, with Bruce arriving at a personal and creative crossroads, painfully looking back while trying to move forward.  

It's 1981 when ascending rock star Bruce Springsteen (White) finishes the final leg of his sold-out The River tour and manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) rents him a house in Colts Neck, New Jersey where he can quietly decompress. After stumbling upon the movie Badlands on TV, he starts researching notorious serial killer Charles Starkweather, using his story and the works of author Flannery O'Connor to craft new material. But the home's close proximity to the Freehold neighborhood where Bruce grew up brings back traumatic childhood memories of an alcoholic, mentally ill father Douglas (Stephen Graham), who physically and emotionally abused him and his mother Adele (Gaby Hoffman).  

Calling on his guitar tech Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) to bring in a four-track recorder, Bruce turns the bedroom into a makeshift studio where he begins writing a collection of somber songs influenced by his blue-collar upbringing. He also starts dating his old friend's sister Faye (Odessa Young), a single mom struggling to make ends meet. After hearing the somber tracks, Jon's perplexed by Bruce's refusal to alter or clean up the raw acoustic sound he perfected in that room. But as Jon faces the impossible task of convincing Columbia Records' exec Al Teller (David Krumholtz) to release the unmarketable Nebraska, Bruce is suffering from a bigger identity crisis than anyone realizes.

Watching this, you see how oddly fitting it is that Springsteen's most recognizable single came six years prior with "Born To Run," a title he appears to live by through much of the film. And though the pressure's on to top The River's enormous success, we're at least spared another rock star's descent into drug abuse and addiction, with the singer having already gotten a front row seat to those consequences as a child. Rather Bruce's demons come in the form of untreated depression, dimming the brightest moments and lessening what should be the highest of highs.  

Strange as it seems given Nebraska's esteemed standing in Bruce's catalogue, the album was actually a huge gamble that could have easily derailed his career. And a folk excursion coming off the heels of one of the artist's more commercially friendly periods only made it a tougher sell. But what's interesting about Cooper's script is how it doesn't necessarily present this undertaking as a choice so much as a flood of memories and influences converging at once, leaving him little option but to lower his guard and let them in. 

Absent among these demos is a radio ready hit like "Hungry Heart" or "Out in the Street," but that's inevitable given the stripped down circumstances under which they're produced. And Bruce won't budge on any of it, rejecting the idea of a tour, singles, promotion, or even his photo on the album's cover. But most importantly, the sound he created in that bedroom must be replicated as it was, minus the usual studio bells and whistles. Neither difficult or full of himself, he's just sure of his work in an era when even the most popular musicians were forced by suits to make crippling compromises. 

While now we know how far a record like this can go in enhancing an artist's discography, the notion of creative freedom or subverting expectations was foreign at the time, even if it bolsters their popularity once they eventually return to the sound with which fans are most familiar. So if it's painful for Jon and producer Chuck Plotkin (Marc Maron) to shelve future all-timers "Born in the U.S.A.," "Glory Days," "I'm Goin' Down" and "I'm on Fire," to accommodate Bruce's more muted vision, it all worked out in the end, with those abandoned tracks defining his legacy on the next album. 

Focusing on the concept album's construction makes this more palatable than it would otherwise be, even if 1950's black and white flashbacks to Bruce's abusive childhood might prompt complaints of Cooper following the genre's typical blueprint. In this case though, it's relevant to both the music's content and emotional scars that infiltrate every facet of the singer's life. This includes a meaningful relationship with Faye he can't help but sabotage, fearful of exposing a side of himself no one's permitted to see. 

Powered by Jeremy Allen White's transformative performance in the title role, we're reminded how singing is only half the battle, if that. Briefly convincing us he sounds good enough to pass muster in the concert scenes is one thing, but actually capturing the Boss's swagger and mannerisms is another challenge entirely, as the actor goes beyond imitation to dig deeper during his many quieter moments alone, haunted by the past. 

Strong leaves a lasting impression as Bruce's biggest advocate, shepherding the release of a possibly doomed album that only sees the light of day with his full support. Critical but realistic, he's a friend anyone would be lucky enough to also call their manager, as demonstrated by his receptive "wait and see" approach upon receiving the tape. His best scene comes opposite Krumholtz's exec, making it clear that his allegiance lies with Bruce, regardless of what the label wants. 

A biopic peppered by a series of depressing flashbacks is good cause for skepticism, but the tropes are mostly sidestepped by Graham's ice cold supporting turn and memories that pay off in Bruce's songwriting and eventual acceptance of where he came from. While the elder Springsteen may have done the best he could, his best happened to be terrible, which is something both need to work past. But in writing an album he didn't know needed to exist, Bruce lets it all pour out, intrinsically tying his music to the endeavor of creating it. Deliver Me From Nowhere is at its best when exploring that process, shedding light on how Nebraska eventually came to be.  

To Leslie

Director: Michael Morris
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Allison Janey Marc Maron, Andre Royo, Owen Teague, Stephen Root, James Landry Hebert, Matt Lauria
Running Time: 119 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

There's no mistaking the fact that Michael Morris' To Leslie is all about its gut-wrenching lead turn from English actress Andrea Riseborough as a destitute, alcoholic single mother who squandered her lottery payout. We're shown the consequences, after she's pushed away family and friends, still struggling to escape a tarnished reputation and cycle of self-inflicted emotional punishment. There's actually not much to the story, with a plot comparable to any number of low-budget indie dramas focusing on similarly tortured characters. And yet due to its disarming honesty this still feels like a wake-up call in the midst of bigger, more attention-grabbing releases. The surprises are minimal because the plot doesn't require them, excelling instead by serving up an unflinching look at what's become of this woman's life and why. 

As a low-key character study, this hits familiar notes, but has a lived-in quality stays with you, making it easier to understand why Riseborough pulled out all the stops in drawing eyes to a film and performance that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. With a career built on how anonymously she slides into each role, this is her biggest disappearing act, bolstered in part by a co-star who hasn't gotten nearly the attention he deserves. All of this would seem tired or cliched without the power these performances breathe into the material, resulting in one of the more painfully realistic recent takes on alcoholism depicted onscreen.

When Leslie Rowlands (Riseborough) won $190,00 in a West Texas lottery six years ago it was supposed to cure all her personal and financial troubles. Instead, she blew it on liquor and is now a penniless alcoholic living out of motels, roaming the streets and hitting bars. After being kicked out of her latest residence, she reunites with estranged 20 year-old son James (Owen Teague), who agrees to let her move in with him provided she doesn't drink and looks for a job. Their arrangement barely lasts a day, with Leslie hitting the bottle again and spiraling downward.

Old friend Nancy (Allison Janey) and her boyfriend Dutch (Stephen Root) temporarily allows Leslie to stay with them, but they're quickly fed up with the late night boozing and send her packing. After being found sleeping outside the local motel, its manager Sweeney (Marc Maron) offers her work and a free room, much to owner Royal's (Andre Royo) disapproval. Generous and patient with his new employee, Sweeney gives Leslie what could be a last chance at getting sober and changing her life's direction. But with a town full of people constantly reminding her of the past, it'll be an uphill battle.

Leslie's gone completely off the deep end, but what really stands out are everyone's reactions to her. Son James is forced to be the parent, disciplining and caring for his mom as if she's a child, while others choose to either ignore the embarrassing public displays, enable her, or just express a mixture of sometimes justifiable pity and anger. Sweeney is the only one to offer help without judgment, a reaction that at least partially stems from his own history. But the problem is that Leslie's already been given chances and couldn't stay sober long enough to capitalize on them, manipulating those closest to her to feed this ongoing addiction. 

In one particularly humiliating scene, Leslie gets wasted at her hometown bar and publicly acts out, oblivious to how it's being received. And while you do sympathize with her frustrated son, there's a whole contingent of bored, miserable townsfolk more than willing to rub her nose in it. Sweeney's the exception in that he's almost too trusting, sticking himself out there for Leslie in ways that could personally and professionally damage him. Maron impresses as this lonely, benevolent man whose interest in her plight is genuine, even as he second guesses the practicality of his risky commitment. 

Maron makes for an ideal sparring partner, delivering his most natural, low-key screen work thus far, elevating Riseborough in the process. Speaking with a Texas twang and appearing almost unrecognizably gaunt and disheveled, she somehow conveys Leslie's plight without resorting to histrionics or showy mannerisms. The character puts on a show, but it's a tragic one, through which you see glimpses of a better person occasionally peeking through. 

Beyond getting sober, the toughest part for Leslie is reconciling the awful choices she's made with where she is now, admitting she deserves help before betting on herself to accept it. The film opens with home video footage of her lottery win, and while the amount isn't a colossal windfall, her reaction reveals just how big a difference it could have made. Beaming enthusiastically about goals and plans that never come to pass, the money ultimately proves to be more of a curse than any kind of life improving reward.

Writer Ryan Binaco (whose tightly woven script is partially inspired by his own relationship with his mother) shows how Leslie continues to run from that lotto victory while struggling to regain whatever hope it once represented. The ending is somewhat convenient but earned, providing a tangible glimmer of hope she'll now have to follow through on. But regardless of how depressing it may be to revisit, To Leslie is still somewhat of a hard luck redemption story, bolstered by a performance that ensures the film won't be so easily forgotten.