‘A Complete Unknown’ Review: Timothée Chalamet Is Uncanny as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s Offbeat and Incandescent Biopic

As a long-time admirer of Bob Dylan and his music, I found “A Complete Unknown” to be a captivating and profoundly moving portrayal of the iconic artist’s journey. The film brilliantly captured the essence of Dylan’s transformation from a humble folk singer into a revolutionary rock ‘n’ roll star, all while showcasing Timothée Chalamet‘s remarkable ability to embody the enigmatic and charismatic spirit of Bob Dylan.

In one of the numerous captivating, delicately constructed moments within “A Complete Unknown,” James Mangold’s unconventional drama chronicling Bob Dylan’s early years, we observe Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), who share a musical and romantic history, perform a duet at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. They are singing Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” and the harmony of their voices (and their smiles) produces a sound so pristine it seems infused with sunlight. Mangold allows this song to play out in full, as he does with many songs in “A Complete Unknown,” thereby allowing the music to essentially narrate the story that the film is conveying.

This number symbolizes a radiant illusion with underlying tension, as Baez has grown tired of Dylan. He’s a mercurial, self-centered folk star, always seeming to be the focus yet maintaining an aloof coolness. Given Joan’s powerful reputation and distinctive quivering soprano voice, she too is disenchanted with being seen as Dylan’s prop. Their song, which conveys their feelings for each other (“It ain’t me, babe,/It ain’t me you’re looking for, babe”), is imbued with such intensity it seems like a love story. (Even Bob’s other girlfriend, portrayed by Elle Fanning, is moved to tears by the singers’ connection.) However, folk music traditionally revolves around empathy for the world; at this moment, their performance represents self-devotion – the dawn of a new era. This scene simultaneously stirs your emotions and confuses your thoughts.

‘A Complete Unknown’ is a drama that embodies raw realism, with its narrative flowing effortlessly alongside its iconic, shaggy-haired, sunglasses-donning coffeehouse musician protagonist. However, the ambiance seems more reminiscent of a musical production. Despite this, one might expect such a resemblance in any rock biopic, but here, the film’s unconventional song-cycle format truly delves into Dylan and his music, illustrating how his music revolutionized everything. Each new song serves as a dramatic event, whether it’s Dylan performing ‘Masters of War’ at the Gaslight Cafe following the Cuban Missile Crisis or experimenting with ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ with Baez in his living room, or singing ‘The Times They Are A-Changin” at Newport, where by the end, the audience sings along as if it were a song they had always known.

In simpler terms, the character Dylan, portrayed by Chalamet with a gravelly voice and a sneaky, genuine quietness that leaves you both disarmed and speechless, travels from small bohemian apartments to recording studios, concert stages, fancy parties, and back to the vibrant messiness of Greenwich Village (which isn’t very convincingly represented as Jersey City). He forms temporary relationships with people he encounters easily, only to let them go just as swiftly. However, this is because music is his true love. The songs Dylan writes, scribbling down lyrics on notepads, frequently in the early hours of the morning, dominate and define him. The movie “A Complete Unknown” delves into the raw power of what Dylan created during this time, casually producing timeless songs as if he’d plucked them from the ages. It’s important to note that the Dylan portrayed in the film is somewhat of a cad, but this adds to the film’s impact. It offers an unsparing depiction of what an obsessive artist might truly be like.

1961 finds us encountering him as a 19-year-old hitchhiker from Minnesota. On a frosty winter day, he arrives in New York City with his hat, coat, scarf, backpack, and guitar case, an extension of himself. His destination is the hospital in New Jersey where Woody Guthrie, struggling with Huntington’s disease, lies silent. Pete Seeger, Guthrie’s friend, is visiting him, and Bob Dylan enters the room with a mix of curiosity and reverence. It’s the melodious, everyday-man’s voice of Guthrie’s music that forms the blueprint for his own craft.

In a moment that feels nothing short of enchanting, Timothée Chalamet, strumming his guitar and crooning “Song to Woody,” seemingly transforms into Bob Dylan. His voice, raw and slightly constricted, mirrors Dylan’s in both tone and steadfastness. As he sings the words, they seem like a spell, and in that instant, he embodies Bob Dylan – the rugged honesty, the spiritual grit that softens into poetic beauty, all present and accounted for.

Timothée Chalamet’s character Bob doesn’t talk much and often uses cryptic five-word phrases. This is not because he lacks the ability to communicate, but rather because in his mind, he has already filtered out the superficial aspects of human conversation that hold no value for him. Instead, he seems connected to something deeper and eternal. Chalamet skillfully portrays Dylan’s complex, enigmatic personality, which is both intriguing and challenging. His performance is captivating, reflecting the essence of Dylan while staying true to the nature of films. We find ourselves drawn to this young, mysterious man, who radiates charm when he sings, and like everyone else in the story, we are curious about what drives him.

The script, penned by Mangold and Jay Cocks, meticulously crafts the narrative so that all conventional biopic elements are included: how Dylan mesmerized early-’60s Village audiences at Folk City as well as the New York Times; his complex relationships with Baez and a more tender bond formed with Sylvie (Fanning’s character, who represents Suze Rotolo in the film); the business agreement he makes with the shrewd manager Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler); and the friendships he builds with Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook), a rising country star who ignites Dylan’s rebellious spirit, and with Seeger, played by Norton with authentic whimsy as a warm-hearted, truly folksy activist.

Dylan himself is steeped in folk music, but he’s no folkie purist. He sees what’s coming that Seeger can’t: the swooning self-infatuation of the new pop audience. (Seeger doesn’t realize that that narcissism will kill his proletarian dream.) The story “A Complete Unknown” tells is how Dylan moves away from the “purity” of folk music because his music begins to open up to a richer, bolder, more majestic purity: the need to reflect back the world he sees around him.

He chooses electric music because as an artist, Dylan is destined to explore new realms. This decision might disturb traditionalists, such as Alan Lomax from the Newport Folk Festival, but it’s part of his artistic journey. His electric music ranges from exhilaratingly energetic (“Subterranean Homesick Blues”) to profoundly sublime (“Like a Rolling Stone”).

In Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary “No Direction Home,” the transformation of Bob Dylan is beautifully depicted. However, the film “A Complete Unknown,” anchored by Timothée Chalamet’s compelling performance, delves deeper into aspects that the documentary missed. It portrays the inner turmoil Dylan experienced, his emotional struggles, and the personal toll they took on him. The documentary primarily focused on Dylan’s public confrontations, but this film shows us the private anguish he faced. To bring about change in his music and the world, Dylan had to face more than just a crowd of disappointed fans at Newport. He had to challenge the cosmic forces that were telling him ‘no’ and replace doubt with faith. This struggle, this journey from darkness to light, is what Dylan’s music always represented – faith illuminating the darkest corners. With “A Complete Unknown,” we are invited on Dylan’s transformative journey into the light.

2024-12-10 20:16

‘A Complete Unknown’ Review: Timothée Chalamet Is Uncanny as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s Offbeat and Incandescent Biopic

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