Admittedly, I had no idea who Bob Dylan was when I caught an early screening of A Complete Unknown, but I left the theater a new fan. James Mangold’s new film about the rise of one of the most iconic singer/songwriters explores a specific moment in Bob Dylan’s life rather than telling the entire story. We get the beginning of his story, his rise to fame, and that iconic moment at the Newport Folk Festival. I believe this choice is what makes this movie a must watch whether you’re a fan or not.
I walked into the theater fully prepared to be unimpressed with this film if I’m being completely honest. Not only did I not know who this story was about (sorry, Bob Dylan), I was afraid that it would do what most biopics do, and that’s tell an unfulfilling story; one that isn’t compelling enough to keep the audience engaged, but I was happy to be proven wrong. From the moment the movie started, I found myself wanting to learn everything about this Bobby Dylan person. Timothée Chalamet does this thing where he makes Bobby both likeable and insufferable at the same time.
Before this film, I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of folk music – is that even a thing anymore? The music in this film, however, had my foot tapping and fingers snapping without knowing a single word. What was interesting to me was seeing the transition of Bob’s music from folk to the rebellious electric style. What I believe the audience will enjoy about this film is that it’s not unnecessarily dragged out with how that transition came to be and how Bob’s fans responded to that shift.
Music plays a major part of this film –obviously, and knowing that Timothée performed Bob Dylan’s iconic songs himself, adds an extra appreciation to the material. He’s been preparing for this role for about five years, and believe me when I say, that fact is proven throughout this film. Production mixer, Tod A. Maitland, says that they’ve “done this movie 98% live”. There was this scene where Bob Dylan plays Carnegie Hall, and Maitland said that before that scene was shot, they were going to use playback, but Timothée insisted on “going live” – loved this choice because it was one of my favorite scenes.
Should you go see A Complete Unknown? I vote – yes! Whether you’re a fan of Bob Dylan or not, there’s something about this film that I believe will ignite a love for a genre of music that is making a comeback. Bob Dylan’s quick rise to stardom and his ability to captivate audiences is beautifully displayed in this film. Timothée Chalamet’s accurate portrayal of Bob Dylan’s mannerisms (I had to search for old footage to make sure it wasn’t exaggerated) makes you feel like you’re back in the 1960s meeting young Bobby Dylan for the first time. A Complete Unknown releases in theaters Christmas Day.
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