A Complete Unknown

There are few genres of film more confounding to me than the musical biopic. Films like RAY (Jamie Foxx), WALK THE LINE (Jaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon), BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (Rami Malek) and ROCKET MAN (Taron Edgerton)all feature beloved, award-winning performances, yet simplified their subjects in a way that made me feel as if was getting the glossy, Hollywood version of a complicated artist. That, of course, is literally the whole point, so I do understand that levying a criticism like that is problematic.  

In each of the aforementioned films, we saw transformative turns that made us believe that we were watching an earlier iteration of that particular performer. They embodied their inspirations and banged out the legendary tunes that made you watch in the first place. The films were infused with drama (both factual and fictional) in hopes of capturing the essence of greatness that made these figures larger than life. Each one of the performances I referenced were spectacular, yet the films left me with the unshakable feeling that I was simply watching a variation of the same project.

This past year, another entry in this genre garnered plenty of attention from the Academy. Starring Timothee Chalamet as the enigmatic Bob Dylan, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor (Chalamet), Best Director (Mangold), Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton) and Best Supporting Actress (Monica Barbaro).

Compared to the biopics listed above, it was almost a given that A COMPLETE UNKNOWN would need to take factual liberties with its subject. Dylan is not only notoriously private, but he built a persona that was shrouded in mystery and defiance. A brilliant, shockingly talented artist who, to use modern parlance, remains of the greatest trolls of all time. He was more than willing to stretch the truth about his origins, inspirations, and feelings and took glee in non-conformity to a level that had never been seen. Even now, he knows you want to hear “Like a Rolling Stone” but rest assured that if you are going to a show, he’s probably not going to play it.

That sense of defiance is conveyed expertly in Mangold’s film. Instantly capturing an essence of authenticity, you are willing to believe everything that is presented, and Chalamet’s performance is flawless. He captures the casually cool essence that allowed Dylan to become a counter-culture icon while also establishing the fact that he’s one of the most profound musical minds that has ever lived. Though he is a man who crafts meaningful bonds with those around him, these relationships are all on Dylan’s terms and will benefit him more than anyone else. From folk singer Pete Seeger (Norton) who recognizes Bob’s genius immediately and begins to introduce him to important figures in the community, to girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) who gives him companionship and a place to a live, to Joan Baez (Barbaro) an established folk star who will help him accelerate his career, Dylan capitalized on every situation that presented itself.

Mangold’s film is a cut above most of its predecessors. Though I didn’t leave the theater with a sense that I knew anything more about Dylan than I did going in, I also felt as if he and Chalamet did try to do more than simply recreate the hits while injecting some personal anguish along the way. We got to hear bangers like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “Like a Rolling Stone” and plenty of others, but we also got to see a complex man navigating what it means to be a superstar and resolutely deciding that he had very little interest in getting there if it meant bowing to the wishes of others.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
GRADE: B

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 2h 21min
GENRE: Docudrama, Biography, Drama, Music
STARRING:  Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning
DIRECTOR: James Mangold
Writers:  James Mangold, Jay Cocks, Elijah Wald

Now playing in theaters and streaming on VOD.

Brian Miller