"Deliver Me from Nowhere" Tamps the Boss Down

Bio-pics come with a built-in tension concerning point of view. Filmmakers generally undertake such projects out of admiration, and, as a result, many veer quickly from enthusiasm to hagiography and from drama to fan service. This is especially a problem in bio-pics centered upon a living and still active public figure, whose approval filmmakers may seek, as much psychologically as contractually. Scott Cooper’s biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” starring Jeremy Allen White, is a prime example. No one expects a bio-pixposé of the Boss, but this movie is so respectful and dignified as to seem like puff. In its premise, it resembles another new bio-pic of a famous artist, Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague.”