A Complete Unknown

There was one weakness in this film that made inferior to Inside Llewyn Davis; it lacked authenticity. How odd that a completely fictional character like Llewyn Davis had the feel of the real Bob Dylan, and the Bob Dylan film did not.

I lived through this era personally. I loved this music as it started, and evolved from 1961 to the present day. I remember strolling through the Village feeling more alive than at any other time of my life. I went to the early shows of Bob Dylan, and thought he was a genius.

This film, however, does not match Inside Llewyn Davis for catching that sense of genius. It is very slick, and well done, but just not as authentic.

The writer-director, James Mangold, does a magnificent job of capturing the atmosphere of the 1960s with great authenticity. His inclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy Assassination mirror the anxiety of the times.

The lead actor, TImothee Chalamet, does an outstanding job as Dylan. He is amply supported by a powerhouse cast led by Edward Norton.

The story about Dylan's arrival in the Village in the early 60s was done well.

The cinematography and set designs are letter-perfect; but something was missing. Believability.

I loved A Complete Unknown. To me, it is a story of lost innocence-a modern fall from Eden. Dylan's relentless chase for what he thinks will make him happy only highlights his longing for what he has already lost. The problem is, he doesn't know who he is. His evolving relationships mirror the changes in his music, and by the end, he seems to realize that whatever he's become, he regrets some of his choices because there's no going back.

And the soundtrack? Absolutely killer-every track perfectly captures Dylan's transformation and inner conflict, making the film an unforgettable theater experience.

I was expecting a lot from this film and in some cases it delivered. The acting is great across the board with Chalamet portraying Dylan brilliantly and his singing is really on point.

The problem with the film is that the story reads like a greatest hits rather than a biopic. It's like the writers and director wanted to fit as many songs in as possible and forgot they were meant to be telling a story at the same time.

It's not a bad film in any way, I just was expecting it to be better than average. With the quality of acting and singing in the film it really deserved better story telling to go with it.

"So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh." Woody Guthrie (Scott McNairy)

Those of us alive in early '60's could not have known the nasal, raspy-voiced 19-year-old, Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet), would one day change folk music forever. Director James Mangold in the biopic A Complete Unknown, perfectly captures the times changing and Dylan as he takes us from Pete Seeger's traditional folk to Dylan's own brand of folk rock.

The surprise in this solid one-of-the-best of the year, is how much music Mangold and co-writer Jay Cocks give the audience. Besides, several of the tunes are played in full by the lead actors, not something I could say even in the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody. Another surprise, Chalamet can sing very well.

Inevitably, a folk star must contend with the attentions of women, either friends or colleagues. The latter are represented in the distractingly attractive Joan Baez (Monia Barbaro), both talented and beautiful. Her biopic, I Am a Noise, explained her ambivalence toward Dylan, who was her opposite with his growing selfish mien.

Lover Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), not as talented or beautiful as Baez, represents the collateral damage from his fame. Despite his growing disaffection, she still influenced him to write such classics as A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall and The Times They are A Changin.

Both women are treated as important parts of Dylan's life, not just weepy or ineffectually forlorn. Baez was never neutralized by his allure, whereas Sylvie shriveled. The film captures this rough spot in his life while it also champions his talent. Let's face it-he was distant, downright enigmatic, and the film doesn't try to explain why. But then, other attempts at understanding him such as Scorsese's No Direction Home and Haynes' I'm Not There failed as well. Dylan's just too interior to be flushed out.

What these and other parts of his life also show is Dylan's insensitivity while he could sing of more loving attitudes to mankind in general. It is commonly known that artists can be abrasive and dismissive but also creative beyond measure. Dylan, however, clashes with the warm and caring Pete Seeger (Edward Norton, waiting I predict for an Oscar nomination) over Dylan's electrifying folk music, one of the intriguing conflicts the film does not sugarcoat.

Besides the splendid period accuracy, A Complete Unknown offers multiple musical sequences to delight even the newest audiences. After seeing this bountiful biopic, audiences witness Dylan becoming better known and his music eternal for even the most conservative audience.

One of the best films of the year and a biopic for the ages.

I do like a music based film, and I'm old enough to know and like Bob. I think Timothy is good, but previously so young looking I struggled with some of his roles. Here he grows up. Bob Dylan is a great part for him, and he plays him well, maturing physically and as an actor.

The film seemed a little "clean" and in the midst of the mid 60's onward, drugs seem to be limited to cigarettes! Even Bob himself has talked about drugs issues related to opioids and psychedelics, so it did seem an important admission, maybe related to Bob still being with us.

However still an entertaining biopic with great music which was the focus (as it should bet) for the Nobel prize winning icon.

Driving home from the cinema happily singing along to Bob which clearly had the desired effect. 7/10.