Just months after delivering what many fans dubbed as his career best performance as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part II, Timothee Chalamet is back impressing audiences and further showcasing his range. In this long awaited biopic, Chalamet plays singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in the early 1960’s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Previously advertised with the title ‘Going Electric’, the film not only follows Dylan’s rise to fame but the disappointment of his fans when he ditched his acoustic guitar and solo presence for an electric guitar and a band. Superbly acted by a talented ensemble helmed flawlessly by Chalamet, A Complete Unknown is a competent biopic that puts music front and center, but loses focus on its character development in the process.
From the trailers and promo tracks alone, audiences have known that Chalamet would deliver an impeccable performance. Completely transforming himself into Bob Dylan, whether that be with his signature voice or stand-out cadence, he is an absolute marvel and is entirely convincing from start to finish. It’s easy to forget you’re watching Chalamet the further the run-time progresses, as he encompasses everything about Dylan so perfectly. The singing voice is flawless and his mannerisms leap off the screen – it may just be one of the most accurate portrayals we’ve had in years. Solidifying himself as one of the best actors working today, any Awards Season buzz that he receives is warranted and deserved. It’s not only Chalamet that impresses with his acting chops, but the entire cast – Mangold gives us a real ensemble, and not one actor fails to step up. Edward Norton (Fight Club) is great as singer-songwriter Pete Seeger, who had a huge role to play in Dylan’s journey to stardom. From sitting at Woody Guthrie’s hospital bedside playing him songs to bringing folk music to the forefront and educating the community on it, the film does his legacy justice, and Norton is great. Another standout is Monica Barbara in her role as Joan Baez, also doing her own singing and guitar-playing. Sharing much of the screen time with Chalamet due to her tumultuous relationship with Dylan and their tendency to collaborate and perform together, the pair have excellent chemistry, with Barbaro sounding fantastic and creating the perfect follow-up to her star-making performance in Top Gun: Maverick. Although not receiving much screen-time, Boyd Holbrook’s portrayal of Johnny Cash is astonishingly accurate, and he does the most with his limited scenes. Other notable performances are given by Elle Fanning (Maleficent), Scoot McNairy (Gone Girl) and Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).
Those that are here for the music won’t leave disappointed, as rightly so, A Complete Unknown has a real focus on it, putting it front and center above anything else. With full-length performances of all his best tracks, most notably at Newport Folk Festival, Bob Dylan’s music is the heart and soul of the movie. It also helps that Chalamet and the rest of the casts voices are exceptional, as the performance sequences often end up being the best of the movie. Mostly known for his songwriting and lyricism over his actual singing voice, we also receive many a scene where Bob puts pen to paper, spending his days propped up in bed with a guitar on his lap. Seeing these songs come to life is bound to be entertaining for fans and newcomers to Dylan alike. It doesn’t just focus on the music from Bob Dylan but the folk genre as a whole, reminding audiences which talents brought this music to the forefront. Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Al Cooper and Al Cooper are also mentioned or featured alongside Dylan, Baez and Cash, and we even get to hear a little bit of Folsom Prison Blues. It’s fun to hear from those who inspired Dylan as well as Dylan himself. James Mangold makes it very clear that he and co-writer Jay Cocks did their research, as A Complete Unknown is an immersive and impressive look into the 60’s music scene.
As far as musical biopics go, A Complete Unknown is solid, but isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Though it has all the necessary ingredients that it should, including an interesting lead, exceptional performances, strong direction, incredible music and perfect sound design, it doesn’t do anything unique or stand-out, and occasionally feels empty. The storyline is certainly engaging, but you’ll end up leaving the movie with the exact same amount of knowledge on Bob Dylan as you entered. It fails to tell us anything about his life aside from his political views, personality traits and how he treated the women in his life, which means that by the time the credits roll, it’s hard to feel strongly about it. The filmmaking is second to none, and that performance from Chalamet does enough to carry the entire film into ‘great’ territory. It also paints a good picture of the period, thoroughly delving into the social commentary of the time regarding politics and civil rights. However, when it comes to Dylan himself, we learn very little. Many audience members watch biopics to learn more about the person behind the name, so in that respect, A Complete Unknown fails to deliver.
There’s a reason most of the conversation surrounding A Complete Unknown is regarding the performances – they’re the movie’s best asset. It also boasts exceptional use of music that creates a toe-tapping two-hour-twenty run-time, expectedly strong filmmaking from Mangold and an immersive 60’s America setting. As a biopic, it hits all the notes it should, apart from perhaps the most important one of all – teaching us more about the man behind the music.
