On Friday night, hundreds of Nashvillians braved the cold outside of the Belcourt Theater for an advanced screening of the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown” starring Timothée Chalamet.
Chalamet, who stars in the film as Dylan, spoke briefly to the audience before the film, sharing his excitement about the film and the opportunity to play Dylan.
“Bob Dylan is a man who has shaped my artistic worldview,” he said.
True to its name, the film portrayed Dylan as an enigmatic figure, offering little perspective into his personal life.
Instead, it focuses heavily on his music, with extended performances dominating its 2 hour and 21-minute runtime.
While these performances are riveting at times, they come at the expense of storytelling, creating expositional gaps in Dylan’s story and leaving the audience with a sense of distance from who Dylan truly is.
These performances are not limited to the music of Dylan as other iconic folk artists from the 60s are given their turn on the stage, such as Joan Baez, portrayed by Monica Barbaro.
The dominating nature of these performances is maybe in Dylan’s best interest as Chalamet portrays him as sullen, abrasive and egotistical, a characterization that might not sit well with some audience members.
Constantly armed with a cigarette in hand and a thick Midwestern accent, Chalamet portrays Dylan as a man whose personal relationships fall apart as his career grows.
The film tends to jump forward in time, often breezing over important moments of exposition, expecting the audience to fill in the gaps along the way, especially in the portrayal of Dylan’s personal relationships.
Tonally the film misses the mark in several places and drew chuckles from the audience in moments that were meant to be more serious.
This was especially true when a montage featuring Chalamet superimposed onto footage of Dylan’s 1963 performance at the March on Washington, unexpectedly drew raucous laughter from the audience, turning a homage into an unintentionally absurd moment.
The overarching theme of the movie is established early on, in a scene that depicts a fight between Dylan and his girlfriend, Sylvie Russo, portrayed by Elle Fanning.
Russo expresses frustration with Dylan’s unwillingness to talk about his past, an issue he does not wish to broach.
“I don’t even know you,” she says.
Yet, Dylan offers no answers for Russo, reflecting the films hesitancy to delve deeper into who Dylan is.
His refusal to answer leaves both Russo and the audience struggling to figure that out for themselves, a task that neither are up for.
The most insight into Dylan’s psyche the film offers is found in the scenes that showcase his music.
The film is its strongest during these moments, though it relies on them too strongly, at the risk of losing the interest of the audience.
This is reflective of the film’s approach to Dylan as he is characterized as a man more defined by his music than one interested in personal relationships.
A particularly poignant duet of Dylan’s song, “It Ain’t Me Babe” between Dylan and Baez is the film’s high point.
It’s a rare moment in which both Chalamet and Barbaro shine, letting the audience get a glimpse of the nature of Dylan and Baez’s relationship through the lyrics of the song. It gives the audience the closest thing to closure on the pair’s tumultuous relationship that the film can offer.
However, even this emotional moment stops short at fully revealing anything about Dylan but rather relies on his music to tell the story.
For fans of Dylan’s music “A Complete Unknown” offers an array of musical performances that showcase the power of his work.
However, for those seeking a deeper understanding of the man behind the music, the film offers little beyond what can already be found in his songs.
“A Complete Unknown” opens in theaters on Dec. 25.
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This article was written by Nolan Russell
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