The ever-elusive, eternally mysterious Bob Dylan has come to the big screen before at least once. Flashing back to 2007, Todd Haynes directed a puzzling take on Dylan’s life, wherein six different actors portrayed him at different stages in his life. Now, two-time Oscar nominee James Mangold takes a stab at demystifying the king of folk. Punctuating the power of live music, every performer gives their all in delivering on-set vocals that completely envelop viewers in their beauty. Grounded by an immersive, transformative turn from Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown functions as the definitive take on a vital period in Bob Dylan’s career.
A Complete Unknown dodges many of the predictable tropes inherent in biopics by beginning not at the start of Bob’s story, but smack dab in the middle of it. Bob (Chalamet) comes to New York armed with his trademark acoustic guitar and a dream to see his idol, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy, Argo, 12 Years a Slave). Pete (Edward Norton, Fight Club, Glass Onion), takes Bob, a “fellow traveler,” under his wing, developing a bond with the boy after he performs for Woody right beside his hospital bed. In these early scenes, the script from Mangold and Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, Silence) allows the characters plenty of breathing room. The film wisely never forgets that we are here to see Dylan; as such, Chalamet remains onscreen for nearly every minute of the two-hour-plus runtime.
The people that Dylan crosses paths with throughout leave an indelible imprint on the movie at large. The first time he comes upon superstar Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro, At Midnight, Top Gun: Maverick) crooning a seductive take on “House of the Rising Sun” in a small club, their chemistry is palpable even from their first exchanges. During an impressive debut performance, people actually start paying attention to Bob and his unusual way of singing. Channeling the signature mumble-tones of the performer, Chalamet’s natural charisma clashes spectacularly against his raw vocals and peppy harmonica tunes. Before long, Dylan sparks up a romance with bleeding heart artist and political activist Sylvie (Elle Fanning, Maleficent, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). She encourages Bob to lean into his originality, especially when it comes to performing songs he has written rather than rehashing the so-called folk classics.
Other tertiary characters here for Bob’s meteoric rise to fame include pen pal and admirer, Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook, Narcos, Logan); Bob’s manager, Albert Grossman (Dan Folger, Balls of Fury, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them); and collaborative soul and eventual band member, Bob Neuwirth (Will Harrison, Manhunt, Daisy Jones and the Six). Each player contributes to the greater whole, swirling around Bob’s orbit as he becomes increasingly more famous and unable to avoid the public eye. Chalamet notably has chemistry with each of these figures, especially Joan, with whom he shares the stage many times. Their most intimate moment together though does not happen on a stage, but instead in the comfort of an apartment. Their stripped down duet of “Blowin’ in the Wind” ends up being a true standout. McNairy’s take on Woody Guthrie, entirely depicted in a hospital setting, notably commingles with Dylan at his most vulnerable.
A definite plus lies in Mangold’s approach to Bob Dylan’s life. Never does it feel to be simply checking off boxes, nor does it seem to skirt from one moment to the next without giving texture to the narrative, as some biopics are wont to do. Instead, the sheer focus on 1961 through 1965 allows an in-depth approach to this particular time period. Civil war breaks out in the background, including riots and shooting that color the era in a tragic sadness. Through it all, Bob continues voraciously penning his lyrics. Based on the book “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night That Split the Sixties” by Elijah Wald, the script works hard to break down the walls of mystery housing the true Bob Dylan. Still, A Complete Unknown is less an open book into his frame of mind than it is a captivating peek into his formative years. By the time Timothée metamorphoses into Bob at his most eccentric—sunglasses, tousled hair, motorcycle, and all—he has completely disappeared within the musician’s anti-rock star persona.
Those who get the most out of the film will probably be Bob Dylan die-hards, but Mangold makes his movie accessible by way of a stunning ensemble cast of performers. The concert energy, particularly in the latter half, electrically charges the performances, similar to that now-iconic Live Aid sequence in 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The build to finally hearing Bob Dylan embrace the electric guitar craze with his take on “A Complete Unknown” makes the payoff entirely worth it. Perhaps some critics may lament a lack of emotional connection. Ironically, Elle Fanning’s Sylvie, not Dylan, delivers the best line. Comparing her relationship to Dylan with spinning plates, Fanning has a quiet elegance about her teary-eyed performance that drives the emotional thrust to the forefront. More moments like these would of course be welcome, but Mangold chooses to emphasize the music and the pleasure of Bob Dylan’s company rather than opt for a heart-breaking expose. A years-long hang out session with an enduring legend of the folk music scene coupled with Chalamet’s incredible performance are reason enough to make the dive into the 60s.
Prepare to discover A Complete Unknown, debuting exclusively in theaters on Friday, December 25th, 2024.
https://soundcloud.com/gilqaneida/when-the-ship-comes-in