The Power of Dylan in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

 

Director James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) tackles the biographical drama, A Complete Unknown, and the result is a fascinating exploration of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan with an important, stunning performance by Timothée Chalamet.

In 1961, a hospitalized, music legend, Woody Guthrie, and friend Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) are witness to a young Bob Dylan (Chalamet) who impresses them with his singing and music.  A rising star, he plays small clubs and begins to attract notice of record companies where he records albums that become popular at a time of social change, civil rights, and free speech. His relationship with his girlfriend Sylvie (Elle Fanning) gets complicated when he meets fellow folk singer, Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro).  Desperate for his own artistic voice instead of catering to growing, public demand, Dylan risks his career by continuously evolving his music. 

 While it attempts to deconstruct the myth of Dylan and does provide some insight into his ethos, there is still an aura of mystery that remains.  The story is enhanced by a strong, period flavor of the sixties even as iconic moments from Dylan’s remarkable catalogue of song classics are reenacted.  (Even nonfans may be prompted to explore his music after watching this film.) It is during these set pieces (and those with Baez) that the film takes on an authentic, mythic quality.  Ironically, Johnny Cash is depicted here, and what a double bill this film and Mangold’s earlier bio film, Walk the Line, would make!

Chalamet is so good portraying Dylan that it is easy to forget how impressive Norton and Barbaro are in their own right. This insightful, detailed study of a music icon does more than scratch the surface of a legend; it gives him a heart and soul.

***** of ***** stars