The nature of Bob Dylan has always fascinated fans. In A Complete Unknown, director James Mangold delivers a deeply personal yet expansive look into the life of one of folk’s most infamous singers.
This film is rooted in Timothee Chalamet’s performance as Bob Dylan himself. The film masterfully captures the restless energy while rejecting societal expectations. Chalamet’s performance is not just an imitation but more of an embodiment. Edward Norton also delivers a phenomenal performance as Pete Seeger playing Bob’s mentor in a way when I saw him for the first time I didn’t recognize him at all.
One thing that sets this film apart from other biopics is the fact it doesn’t shy away from showing the darker half of Dylan’s life, there are some moments in the film where I don’t want him to win. For example, in his relationships with Monica Barbaro’s character and Elle Fanning’s character, you get to know these two girls, and they are both amazing women, only for Dylan to break their hearts. The film does a respectable job of showing the complex life of Dylan and of his relationships.
I really didn’t know who Bob Dylan was going into the movie, and I came out of the theater feeling like I knew everything. There is one minor issue I have with this movie, and that is the pacing. The film is 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is a normal length for a film. However, here it just feels a bit too long, and they could have easily made this film 45 minutes shorter. But that’s my only complaint with the movie.
A Complete Unknown was nominated for eight Oscars, and Chalamet even won the SAG award for outstanding performance. The movie can be rented or bought on Amazon Prime. If you are at all interested in the biopic genre, I would 100% recommend this movie.
