In time for the holidays, theater fans are being gifted another Timothée Chalamet film. This time, Chalamet has set down the space suit and the candy factory keys, and picked up the guitar to portray the role of Bob Dylan. A Complete Unknown takes fans through the years of Dylan’s career from being a relatively unknown musician doing small venues, through his turbulent grandstanding times and into his more successful career. And along the way, the influential musicians, people and love interests of his life.
The movie covers Dylan’s career from 1961 when he first arrives in New York and goes to the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where he seems to go off script and pushes his music over the festival’s theme and audience desire. But in between his fast-paced rise to success, Dylan finds himself in the midst of some of the greats of the time. From walking into a hospital room to talk to Woodie Guthrie and Pete Seeger, a friendship with Johnny Cash and even his romantic entanglement with Joan Baez – it seems like the musical greats of the time were just peppered through his life. While each and every one of these connections is amazing, it also is a good reminder of how fame and musicians are treated differently in today’s world compared to back then.
The performances of all of the actors, not just Chalamet are ones that should be commended in this film. The singing and performances are top of the actor’s game, and will no doubt make fans of any them happy they spent the time to see the movie in the theater. Overall, the movie is entertaining and showcases a large part of Dylan’s early career and how it changed his life. Both the good and bad may make you wonder if some of the hubris was justified or part of the growing fame over time. But one thing is for certain Sylvie (Suze) may have been his muse but has the highest cost for his career.
Did we need another movie about Bob Dylan while the musician is still alive? Fans may wonder why the 2007 I’m Not There with different actors portraying Dylan at different stages of his life isn’t enough. What makes this movie so different? Instead of changing actors and styles, Chalamet takes the role on himself, from his more humble beginnings (albeit walking into a room of influence without hesitation), and through the pivotal points in his career. He tackles the singing and everything himself and does so showcasing his own talent along the way. Is it flawless? Absolutely not. But close enough that fans of the musician won’t have too much to complain about.
A Complete Unknown will be in theaters everywhere on Christmas Day.
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About A Complete Unknown
New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. As he forms his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement and, refusing to be defined, makes a controversial choice that culturally reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.