Western Stars

Name: Western Stars
Genre: Documentary
Released: October 25, 2019
Duration: 83 min
Rating: 80

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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Western Stars

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 25, 2019

Summary: Springsteen’s first studio album in five years, Western Stars marks a departure for the legendary singer/songwriter while still drawing on his roots. Touching on themes of love and loss, loneliness and family and the inexorable passage of time, the documentary film evokes the American West—both the mythic and the hardscrabble—weavingSpringsteen’s first studio album in five years, Western Stars marks a departure for the legendary singer/songwriter while still drawing on his roots. Touching on themes of love and loss, loneliness and family and the inexorable passage of time, the documentary film evokes the American West—both the mythic and the hardscrabble—weaving archival footage and Springsteen’s personal narration with song to tell the story of Western Stars.
Western Stars offers fans the world over their only opportunity to see Springsteen perform all 13 songs on the album, backed up by a band and a full orchestra, under the cathedral ceiling of his historic nearly 100-year-old barn.… Expand

Director: Bruce Springsteen and Thom Zimny

Genre(s): Documentary

Runtime: 83 min

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Critic Reviews

The Playlist Jordan Ruimy

Sep 24, 2019

What Western Stars best achieves, a universal notion that will hook fans and non-fans alike, is the shared sense of community displayed in the infectious love shown for playing vital and moving music. Read full review

Mike Ryan

Sep 14, 2019

Don’t go into Western Stars expecting to see The Boss. That guy is on a break. What we get instead is Bruce Springsteen, a human being who seems a lot less sure of himself than The Boss ever did. Springsteen’s book gave us some details, but Western Stars looks straight into his soul. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Sep 14, 2019

Western Stars isn’t a rockin’-out extravaganza; it’s intimate in its embrace. Yet it’s a moving testament to how much Bruce Springsteen has still got it. It’s a concert film you’ll want to experience with others, as a ray of light in the dark. Read full review

Peter Travers

Oct 23, 2019

The film, bathed in gorgeous shadow and light by cinematographer Joe DeSalvo, gets more personal as it moves along. You can feel the romantic ache when Bruce and the missus duet on “Stones.” Read full review

Ken Jaworowski

Oct 24, 2019

The energy here is controlled, the mood reflective. These character-driven songs are populated by the washed-up and the run-down — an aging actor, a hitchhiker — and the shared themes are remembrance and regret. Read full review

Brad Wheeler

Oct 23, 2019

It’s lovely film to look at, Springsteen confronting his past and demons in the prettiest, gently tuneful barn-and-big-sky way imaginable. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Oct 20, 2019

Western Stars isn’t misguided. It’s just dull and self-serious. But if you’re Bruce Springsteen, nobody around you’s going to point that out. Read full review

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User Reviews

Vernon

Nov 1, 2019

Beautiful presentation of the new songs on the Western Stars album. Springsteen shares his inspiration for each song while tying it in to his life journey. This movie is a continuation of sorts of his Broadway Show where the artists adds to his life story, his trials, his suffering, andBeautiful presentation of the new songs on the Western Stars album. Springsteen shares his inspiration for each song while tying it in to his life journey. This movie is a continuation of sorts of his Broadway Show where the artists adds to his life story, his trials, his suffering, and simply his humanity. The setting for the concert is inspiring as is the moving orchestra. The movie gives textures to the songs and gave me a deeper love of them.… Expand

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AxeT

Oct 25, 2019

As concert film laced with doc footage the surprisingly straight forward structure and old school sentimental delivery is nice. As new Springsteen music with western themed content his wisdom, philosophies and learned preaching are welcome.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JLuis_001

Feb 11, 2020

I've never really been a Bruce Springsteen fan but this was actually pretty good.

What drove me to watch it is that the documentary it's a companion of the album, which I recently listened to and I really liked it, so both things were good.

Still not a fan though

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