Pete_expectingtofly

I decided to watch A Complete Unknown based on the positive reviews and went with an open mind, but I was not really expecting too much.

But the film was surprising good, I was especially impressed with its believability (is that a word) and authenticness. The attention to period detail helps you immerse yourself in the early 60s. Scenes in tiny clubs or busy New York sidewalks seem truthfully recreated and avoid clunky tropes or cliche. Often it's just a fleeting shot - maybe out of an apartment window to a sunny street below that just evokes the feeling and atmosphere of the time.

It's these details that help you slip into the film as easily as the actors slip into their roles. Timothée Chalamet is Dylan, no caricature here. He sings, plays guitar and wears the personality as if born with it. My only criticism is that sometimes the dialogue or parting quip can err on being too meaningful - I'd imagine Dylan being more of a razor wit most of the time.

But when he bursts into song with the subtle indifference and supreme confidence of a young Dylan you get the full emotional impact of how those songs were brought to life and delivered to fresh ears for the first time. With the superb sound on this film such moments are brought to life in goosebump-clarity.

Sometimes supporting roles can feel like they're tacked on to fill out a film. Such pitfalls are avoided in A Complete Unknown, Monica Barbara delivers on all fronts as Baez and I loved Edward Norton's Pete Seeger - you really got a sense that here was a decent man, trying to do the right thing - diplomatic, gentle and warm hearted.

For Dylan fans this is a treat. For non-Dylan fans this is a revelation.

Tish Murtha shouldn't really have made the breakthrough into documentary photography. She didn't have the connections or come from a middle class background like most of those populating the arts. Murtha was working class and her struggle was very real but she had talent, maybe genius and an ability to connect, with unbridled passion and empathy.

She had that very rare quality that few photographers attain which is the ability to dissolve into a circumstance as a seemingly invisible observer. To become a pure conduit of subject to viewer. The visual impact is immensely powerful and it's the essence of great documentary photography.

Murthas uncompromising personality comes through in these bold pragmatic images but the story is not one of celebration. It's one of struggle of one born into a class that is still only represented by 8% of people in the Arts. I will leave you to figure out how she fared when applying for arts grants.

A sad poignant film full of 'what ifs' for a supremely talented photographer who should hopefully find herself realigned next to the greats of documentary photography.

Both Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene are thoroughly nice people but there is zero chemistry between them. No spark or wit or lighting fast ripostes. Roman has the ability to stand on his feet but not think on them.

His interaction with contestants is stilted and wooden as if he's forgotten what repartee is or even what to do with his hands without a clipboard. Puns peppered here and there help keep things light and airy but we are a long way off premium presenter territory.

As for the format it's as exciting as watching snails head towards lettuce. Sarah Greene has a rather teacherly role sat behind a desk explaining rules and desperately tries to inject excitement into the lane position. More tedium follows as each contestant has to appear up front again to hear the 'big exciting lane reveal!'.

You hope against hope there is a fully formed better version of this show that ex Blue Peter presenter Sarah 'made earlier'. But alas there never is.