Courtesy of Searchlight Footage
At one level halfway by means of James Mangold’s well-paced biopic “A Full Unknown,” Bob Dylan’s girlfriend says, “I don’t know you,” which feels completely emblematic of the singer-songwriter’s enduring enigma. Strolling into the movie, I spotted I didn’t know a lot about Dylan, and I’ve since come to grasp that’s exactly how he’s wished it. For these anticipating a deep dive that uncovers each minute element of his life, it’s essential to mood your expectations. What one can find is a grounded and entertaining drama that includes an award-worthy efficiency by Timothée Chalamet, who brilliantly captures Dylan’s mysterious persona whereas giving audiences one thing to latch onto.
Chalamet pulls out all of the stops, singing, enjoying guitar, and blowing harmonica as if his life trusted it. The movie chronicles the key political, social, and generational shifts of the early Sixties, a time when Dylan was only a humble people singer making an attempt to make his mark. The story begins with 19-year-old Bobby Dylan arriving in New York from Minnesota to satisfy his idol, Woody Guthrie (performed by Scoot McNairy), who’s bedridden in a hospital and unable to speak because of Huntington’s illness. Wielding his guitar, Dylan performs a tune that catches the eye of Woody’s greatest pal, Pete Seeger (a somber and compelling Edward Norton), who instantly acknowledges the younger man’s immense potential.
Pete takes Dylan underneath his wing, guiding him by means of the folks scene and introducing him to numerous stars, together with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), whereas additionally connecting him with an area artist named Sylvie (Elle Fanning), with whom he embarks on a romantic relationship. Regardless of his simple chemistry with Baez, the love triangle—one of many movie’s weaker elements—doesn’t decelerate Dylan’s genius or relentless work ethic. The truth is, it appears to gasoline him.
As “A Full Unknown” charts Dylan’s rise, it additionally explores how the relentless pursuit of fame can take a toll on somebody who couldn’t care much less about it. This inner battle reaches a boiling level through the 1965 Newport Folks Pageant, the place audiences anticipate Dylan to revert to his people roots, regardless of his pure development towards rock music. However Dylan is resolute—he doesn’t care concerning the expectations of gatekeepers; he simply desires the music to talk for itself.
Hollywood has been inundated with music biopics over the previous decade, and with initiatives about Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen already within the works, this development exhibits no indicators of slowing down. Nevertheless, “A Full Unknown” stands other than movies like “Bob Marley: One Love” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” for one key cause: a director who understands how these films must be crafted. We’re not slowed down by pointless backstories or a efficiency that veers into imitation. As an alternative, Chalamet’s portrayal of Dylan is deeply genuine, notably by means of his renditions of Dylan classics like “Blowin’ within the Wind” and “The Occasions They Are A-Changin’.”
The movie strikes effortlessly by means of Dylan’s rise, from his days as a struggling musician enjoying native gigs in church buildings to sharing the stage with legends like Johnny Money (memorably performed by Boyd Holbrook). Mangold handles all of it with delicate stability, from intimate recording classes to sold-out stadium live shows, all with breakneck precision and veracity. Sturdy supporting performances from Barbaro and Norton solely improve the expertise.
Whereas Mangold might have faltered along with his “Indiana Jones” film final summer season, he returns to his “Stroll the Line” roots right here, delivering a sturdy, no-frills biopic that isn’t flashy or reliant on gimmicks. You gained’t study something notably new concerning the prolific singer, and Dylan’s rise to stardom just isn’t markedly totally different from the tales of many different well-known musicians. However the mixture of a director who’s unafraid to let scenes breathe and an exceptional efficiency from one of many best younger actors working immediately makes “A Full Unknown” price celebrating.
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN opens in theaters in every single place Christmas Day