WESTERN STARS (PG)
★★★★★
TIME waits for no man except for Bruce Springsteen. The New Jersey-born rocker, affectionately nicknamed The Boss, recently turned 70 but he’s refusing – politely – to slow down as he canters through a creatively rich period of his musical career, which stretches back to the mid-1960s.
In June this year, Springsteen released his 19th studio album Western Stars, a tribute to the rugged landscape of Southern California and the music of Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb, written in the voice of a worldweary Western movie star reminiscing in his twilight years.
The LP’s 13 tracks provide a contemplative, flowing narrative for this concert film co-directed by Springsteen and long-time friend Thom Zimny, which was shot in the heat of summer in a 19th-century barn on the musician’s 378-acre horse farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
Sweat glistens on Springsteen’s arms as he plays the album in its entirety, accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra under the musical direction of Rob Mathes.
Each song is introduced by a tone poem penned by Springsteen that burrows into the deeper meaning of lyrics and their emotional resonance.
“The older you get, the heavier that baggage becomes that you haven’t sorted through,” he solemnly philosophises.
Acoustics in the barn are breath-taking as nine cameras capture unguarded moments between performers, unspoken understanding registered with a nod or shared glance as a chorus soars to the wooden rafters.
■ In cinemas for one night only on Monday, October 28.