In the new Bob Dylan biopic, co-writers James Mangold and Jay Cocks present the young singer/songwriter’s first years in the American folk music world of the early 1960s.
The subject of A Complete Unknown—the title is an understatement of Timothée Chalamet’s stunning musical portrayal of the young Dylan—is shown in the context of the then-grubby New York landscape, the pure and sweet folk sounds of his fellow singers, and the good feel of the first half of the 1960s.
Chalamet’s voice, his affect, his guitar skills, are as close to Dylan’s own as probably is possible. Although Chalamet is a bit too pretty—and often without the surprise grin on the real Dylan’s sloe-eyed face.
The film begins with Dylan’s move to New York to find and meet his idol, the first of the gravelly-voiced folk singers, Woody Guthrie, whom Dylan finds ill, hospitalized with Huntington’s disease. Guthrie is cared for by Pete Seeger, who is played by a terrific and sometimes scene-stealing Ed Norton.
Seeger hears the young Dylan sing and brings him into the folk music world of coffee houses, the Chelsea Hotel, Greenwich Village, recordings, and music festivals . . . all of which are perfect presentations of the time. Street character, housing, the Monterey and Newport film festivals are well replicated. Soundtracks, lighting, and set designs are near perfect.
. . .in the end the filmgoer still has not learned much of the character beyond Dylan’s incredible songwriting and singing abilities.”
The film and music follow Dylan’s first five years, from relative unknown to major musical figure. Along the way, his girlfriend Silvie (a muse of sorts), the singer Joan Baez, his agents, and fellow singers appear. Elle Fanning as Silvie and Monica Barbaro as Baez are both fine actresses in what is a thin story line.
A reckless Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) gives the film some humor, although his character is lightly developed, as are those of most of the excellent supporting cast.
Chalamet’s singing and acting are amazingly true to Dylan, but in the end the filmgoer still has not learned much of the character beyond Dylan’s incredible songwriting and singing abilities.
The film follows Dylan’s own songwriting progressions and culminates in a last scene where he, in a challenge to a group of festival promoters and fellow singers, changes his instrument and, as the film suggests, cracks open a new musical style that parallels the cultural change into the rebellious late ’60s.
In the end, A Complete Unknown is about Chalamet’s portrayal and his voice, and about the American folk music culture of the time. It’s a musical, and like most musicals, it’s entertaining in song and sound. It looks great. Go see it.
Editor’s Note: A Complete Unknown is now playing at The SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.