Like A Complete Unknown

There was one weakness in this film that made inferior to Inside Llewyn Davis; it lacked authenticity. How odd that a completely fictional character like Llewyn Davis had the feel of the real Bob Dylan, and the Bob Dylan film did not.

I lived through this era personally. I loved this music as it started, and evolved from 1961 to the present day. I remember strolling through the Village feeling more alive than at any other time of my life. I went to the early shows of Bob Dylan, and thought he was a genius.

This film, however, does not match Inside Llewyn Davis for catching that sense of genius. It is very slick, and well done, but just not as authentic.

The writer-director, James Mangold, does a magnificent job of capturing the atmosphere of the 1960s with great authenticity. His inclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy Assassination mirror the anxiety of the times.

The lead actor, TImothee Chalamet, does an outstanding job as Dylan. He is amply supported by a powerhouse cast led by Edward Norton.

The story about Dylan's arrival in the Village in the early 60s was done well.

The cinematography and set designs are letter-perfect; but something was missing. Believability.

I loved A Complete Unknown. To me, it is a story of lost innocence-a modern fall from Eden. Dylan's relentless chase for what he thinks will make him happy only highlights his longing for what he has already lost. The problem is, he doesn't know who he is. His evolving relationships mirror the changes in his music, and by the end, he seems to realize that whatever he's become, he regrets some of his choices because there's no going back.

And the soundtrack? Absolutely killer-every track perfectly captures Dylan's transformation and inner conflict, making the film an unforgettable theater experience.

I do like a music based film, and I'm old enough to know and like Bob. I think Timothy is good, but previously so young looking I struggled with some of his roles. Here he grows up. Bob Dylan is a great part for him, and he plays him well, maturing physically and as an actor.

The film seemed a little "clean" and in the midst of the mid 60's onward, drugs seem to be limited to cigarettes! Even Bob himself has talked about drugs issues related to opioids and psychedelics, so it did seem an important admission, maybe related to Bob still being with us.

However still an entertaining biopic with great music which was the focus (as it should bet) for the Nobel prize winning icon.

Driving home from the cinema happily singing along to Bob which clearly had the desired effect. 7/10.

A Complete Unknown is a prelude into Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) career and it begins when Dylan arrives in New York City to visit his folk music hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), an American singer-songwriter and composer, who is hospitalized at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital due to a neurodegenerative disease that left him mobility impaired. Woody is notably known for the song This Land Is Your Land, which we see Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) playing this song during his court trial - for contempt of Congress, which was overturned on a technicality. The song has some deep fascinating history, and Norton did it some justice with his remarkable singing. Later in the movie, Norton sings The Lion Sleeps Tonight while playing the banjo, which was pure enjoyment.

The film also depicts how Pete Seeger is captivated by Bob Dylan's talent and his easygoing personality that he decides to promote his music career. Like your typical musician, Dylan finds himself caught in a love triangle with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) - the one that encourages his song writing and supports him financially, and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) - the one that introduces Dylan to her audience and boosts his music career. Monica Barbaro's singing was beyond impressive and heavenly. She hit those high notes so delicately and precise.

Huge praise to Director and Writer James Mangold in successfully illustrating Bob Dylan's journey in becoming one of the greatest songwriters of all time. James Mangold, known for Walk the Line, included Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) as Dylan's motivation for not becoming a novelty act and encouraged him to make a statement and bring out his rebel side regarding change - Civil Rights Movements, which can be heard throughout the lyrics in the songs, The Times They Are a-Changin' and Like a Rolling Stone - where he performed it at the Newport Folk Festival with an electric musical instruments, and history was made.

Timothée Chalamet certainly had some big shoes to fill taking on the challenge of portraying the young enigmatic Bob Dylan. Chalamet truly stuns the audience radiating that Bob Dylan 60s folk rock vibe with the symbolic harmonica and those fashion iconic sunglasses. A Complete Unknown will leave you wanting an encore.

I was expecting a lot from this film and in some cases it delivered. The acting is great across the board with Chalamet portraying Dylan brilliantly and his singing is really on point.

The problem with the film is that the story reads like a greatest hits rather than a biopic. It's like the writers and director wanted to fit as many songs in as possible and forgot they were meant to be telling a story at the same time.

It's not a bad film in any way, I just was expecting it to be better than average. With the quality of acting and singing in the film it really deserved better story telling to go with it.