A Complete Unknown - Review
I will not lie, as a massive Bob Dylan fan, I was skeptical. I even scoffed. No one should ever play Bob Dylan. Ever. Not even Cate Blanchett. But as I sat in seat G10 at the Landmark Theater on Sunset, crying at Timothée Chalamet's rendition of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", I changed my tune.
Another creation of James Mangold, who also brought us "Walk the Line", the story of Johnny Cash's romance with June Carter, "A Complete Unknown" explore's Bob Dylan's rise in folk music to his devisive decision to go electric. The film, which is not quite a biopic as it only covers about four years, is based on Elijah Wald's book “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties". You don't have to be a massive Dylan fan to enjoy "A Complete Unknown", you just have to be a fan of good cinema. Mangold directs his film flawlessly. One of my favorite moments being as New Yorkers are glued to their television sets, horrified at the Soviet Union's possible nuclear attack, we cut to Bob playing "Masters of War" at a coffee shop. Just brilliant.
Like in "Walk the Line", all of the actors do their own singing and playing. I have played guitar since I was four and I have no idea how musicinas can play along with a harmonica. But Chalamet, who is not a musician, performed the task flawlessly. I would've believed it if I was told he'd been playing his whole life. His guitar playing: effortless. His voice was Bob's, although Chalamet's Dylan came off as a little bit of an impression at some points. But let's face it, Bob has been impersonating himself throughout his whole career. Speaking of impressions, I thought a very fun casting choice was having James Austin Johnson (SNL) play an emcee as he does a mean Dylan himself:
Now let's talk about Edward Norton who BECAME Pete Seeger. His mannerisms, his tone of voice...I hope he wins the Academy Award for supporting actor because he's long overdue. Monica Barbaro, although does not look much like Joan Baez, perfected her singing voice to a T. Especially her rendition of "House Of The Rising Sun":
Elle Fanning gives a touching performance as the fictional Sylvie Russo, who is based on Suze Rotolo, Dylan's girlfriend featured on the cover of "Freewheelin": “At the request of Dylan himself, her name was changed to Sylvie Russo in the movie” (Rolling Stone). Mangold also revisits Johnny Cash, presenting us with Boyd Holbrook's lively rendition of the legend. I also want to shoutout Will Harrison as Bob Neuwirth. Harrison is an amazing guitarist and I loved him in "Daisy Jones and the Six", so I was delighted to see him on the big screen!
Overall, I was very impressed and moved by "A Complete Unknown". I've been a fan of Bob Dylan since before I can remember and the film truly celebrates his genius and artistry. Hence, my tears. I am already excited to go see it in theaters a second time! If you haven't yet, GO SEE IT!
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