Every time I see a movie starring Timothée Chalamet, I become a bigger and bigger fan. So, I have been anxious to see his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown”. Plus, I live in Minnesota. So, I am sure there is some kind of legal obligation to see the movie (kind of like Purple Rain). As both a growing fan of Chalamet as well an obedient citizen, I am extremely glad I did!
The movie tells the story of a roughly four-year period that marked Dylan’s rise to stardom, as well as those around him along with his reaction to it all. Think Bohemian Rhapsody for a solo artist in the turbulent 1960’s. The story is skillfully told. Moving along at a very comfortable pace with the key players in Dylan’s life coming and going, mostly without fanfare. (From what I have read, the movie is largely very accurate, with the necessary merging of events required to tell a story in two hours and 20 minutes.) And if you are less than a casual fan of Bob Dylan, you might be surprised by all of the now iconic names that rode in and out of his sphere.
Don’t make the same mistake of a less than knowledgeable and more closed minded (past) friend of mine: he isn’t planning on seeing it, because “I’m not really a Bob Dylan fan”. I promise you don’t need to be. I knew very little of Bob Dylan (and really, couldn’t care less). I put Bob Dylan on Spotify on my way to the theatre and realized that I knew less of his songs than I would have thought…three. And, no, the movie probably won’t make you a fan of Bob Dylan. It didn’t make me one. Not that the movie portrayed him in a negative light. No, not at all. Quite the opposite. But you either like folk music or you don’t. This movie won’t make you a convert. Yet, the movie helps you see the genius of Bob Dylan while also showing how and why he rose above the influences around him to progress to the influential artist he was in that period of time. (It also makes it clear why he could accomplish it in the 1960’s but could never pull it off today.)
Don’t make your decision to see this movie based on your thoughts and opinions on Bob Dylan or the music he is famous for. Go because you are a fan of well-done movies. The performances, top to bottom, are first rate. Yes, the talk of an Oscar nomination for Chalamet are valid, in my humble opinion.
Every time I see a movie starring Timothée Chalamet, I become a bigger and bigger fan. So, I have been anxious to see his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown”. Plus, I live in Minnesota. So, I am sure there is some kind of legal obligation to see the movie (kind of like Purple Rain). As both a growing fan of Chalamet as well an obedient citizen, I am extremely glad I did!
The movie tells the story of a roughly four-year period that marked Dylan’s rise to stardom, as well as those around him along with his reaction to it all. Think Bohemian Rhapsody for a solo artist in the turbulent 1960’s. The story is skillfully told. Moving along at a very comfortable pace with the key players in Dylan’s life coming and going, mostly without fanfare. (From what I have read, the movie is largely very accurate, with the necessary merging of events required to tell a story in two hours and 20 minutes.) And if you are less than a casual fan of Bob Dylan, you might be surprised by all of the now iconic names that rode in and out of his sphere.
Don’t make the same mistake of a less than knowledgeable and more closed minded (past) friend of mine: he isn’t planning on seeing it, because “I’m not really a Bob Dylan fan”. I promise you don’t need to be. I knew very little of Bob Dylan (and really, couldn’t care less). I put Bob Dylan on Spotify on my way to the theatre and realized that I knew less of his songs than I would have thought…three. And, no, the movie probably won’t make you a fan of Bob Dylan. It didn’t make me one. Not that the movie portrayed him in a negative light. No, not at all. Quite the opposite. But you either like folk music or you don’t. This movie won’t make you a convert. Yet, the movie helps you see the genius of Bob Dylan while also showing how and why he rose above the influences around him to progress to the influential artist he was in that period of time. (It also makes it clear why he could accomplish it in the 1960’s but could never pull it off today.)
Don’t make your decision to see this movie based on your thoughts and opinions on Bob Dylan or the music he is famous for. Go because you are a fan of well-done movies. The performances, top to bottom, are first rate. Yes, the talk of an Oscar nomination for Chalamet are valid, in my humble opinion.