Directed by: James Mangold
Written by: James Mangold and Jay Cocks, based on Elijah Wald’s book
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, and Scoot McNairy
Runtime: 141 minutes
Chalamet is perfectly in tune as Dylan in “A Complete Unknown”
“I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains. I’ve walked, and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways.” – “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan
In January 1961, Robert Allen Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan) moved to New York City to pursue music. Sixty-three years later, the rest is history. 83-year-old Grammy/Oscar/Nobel Prize/Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning Bob Dylan continues to enjoy a beyond-incredible career, and he just wrapped up his 2021-2024 tour in London on November 14.
Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name” (2017), “Dune: Part One” (2021), “Bones and All” (2022), “Wonka” (2023)), 29 and one of the most celebrated actors today, is the opposite of a complete unknown. He fearlessly steps in front of director James Mangold’s camera and is flat-out incredible as Bob Dylan in the biopic, “A Complete Unknown”.
Chalamet sings and plays guitar and the harmonica, and the man performs up to 40 Dylan songs (according to Google) over the course of Mangold’s 141-minute movie. This critic owns about 20 Dylan CDs and has seen Bob in concert four times since 1992.
I’m a Dylan fan, and Chalamet nails it in an uncanny, jaw-dropping performance that left me impressed about 30 seconds into his first song - very early in the first act – a tune that will not be revealed in this review, so not to ruin the experience for other Zimmerman enthusiasts.
Since Bob’s career spans seven decades, Mangold could choose from several Dylan eras (his days with The Band or The Traveling Wilburys, his conversion to Christianity, “The Creative Comeback” (as defined by “Rolling Stone”), etc.) for his movie, but the “A Complete Unknown” covers Dylan’s 1961 arrival in New York to 1965, based on Elijah Wald’s “Dylan Goes Electric!” and Mangold and Jay Cocks’ screenplay.
“A Complete Unknown” is an appropriate title because Bob (Chalamet) suddenly appears in NY, and this unassuming high-E-string-skinny 19-year-old kid with a subdued, mumbling speaking voice soon becomes an iconic singer/songwriter in Greenwich Village and far beyond, with a bottomless well of lyrics and melodies in his mind and guitar case.
Who is this kid? How does he formulate his ideas? How did he develop his sound?
Mangold and Chalamet do not really answer these questions other than a few fleeting mentions here and there, including a brief reference to Bob’s scrapbook, one that he’d rather not discuss. These deliberate screenplay decisions could be frustrating to some movie audiences who want to know the intricate beats of the man behind hits like “Song to Woody”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, “Boots of Spanish Leather”, and so many more.
That’s not this movie.
Instead, the narrative follows his formative musical-artist years. Bob forges professional relationships with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook), and others, but the key tie is with Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). During this time, Pete is a 42-year-old worldwide folk-music hero who immediately helps introduce and elevate Bob to NY audiences. Pete embraces Bob’s gifts and sees him as another champion for his musical style, which includes the famed Newport Folk Festival.
Mangold, Norton, and Chalamet navigate Pete and Bob’s working relationship with grace, care, and affection. Norton is delightful as Pete, strumming a gentle cadence and offering warm smiles. Edward delivers a pleasing, but brief, live performance that captures the tenderness and connection with Seeger’s audiences.
Of course, Dylan doesn’t always relish connections to his audiences. He likes writing and performing music that he prefers, and if he doesn’t feel like playing “Blowin’ in the Wind” with Joan on stage in front of thousands, he won’t. Additionally, if that means recording a new album that isn’t folk-based, that’s his prerogative as he sees it. This story heads straight ahead at 55 mph (folk-music speed) towards a collision course with the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, as Pete and the community hope that Bob will stay with his roots, but as mentioned earlier, Bob’s career spanned many eras.
Speaking of eras, cinematographer Phedon Papamichael beautifully captures the period with muted greys, browns, and greens of the period and the primarily urban locale. The scenes in small bars and large auditoriums feel entirely authentic. Costume designer Arianne Phillips is in tune with the era as well, as much of the film looks like we’re stepping into the “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (1963) album cover. Elle Fanning plays Bob’s girlfriend, Sylvie Russo, a fictionalized version of Suze Rotolo, the woman pictured on that album.
Sylvie meets Bob before he reaches superstar status, and sharing him with the world becomes a troubling gig for their relationship. We see Sylvie cope with global forces, but the movie zeroes in on Bob’s working/personal relationship with Joan as the primary dilemma. Barbaro is terrific on stage, and with Joan’s already-established celebrity, Bob and Sylvia’s fraying bond looks to tear apart.
Making a Bob Dylan biopic is a Herculean task, and Mangold rises to the mythological challenge. He creates palatable tension with Bob’s creative journey and personal and professional relationships, even though it sometimes feels like the film crosses off events or moments like a checklist. This isn’t a unique circumstance with biopics, but “Unknown” is competently constructed and beautifully acted, and the film looks and sounds great. The numbers in front of big audiences seem real, and the more personal moments in a studio (or small room) feel even larger.
For Dylan fans, “A Complete Unknown” sings as a joyous celebration. Those unfamiliar with Bob’s work will probably learn a thing or two or 10, including that Chalamet delivers an Oscar-worthy performance.
Jeff’s ranking
3/4 stars
