Reel Review: A Complete Unknown Feels Empty Due to Bob Dylan’s Wish for Personal Privacy
A Complete Unknown details Bob Dylan’s early career at nineteen years old when he arrived in New York in 1961 from Minnesota. In his uprising, he forges bonds with other famous singers and the Greenwich Village community, bringing his music to audiences around the world. His rise is climaxed with a controversial festival performance in which he changes his music style and shocks audiences. A Complete Unknown documents Dylan’s rise to stardom at a career surface level, but not dive much further than that.
Timothée Chalamet stars as the famous singer, gargled accent and singing chops in all. While Chalamet gives an incredible performance, the movie left audiences feeling hollow giving only a surface level look at Dylan’s life. The costumes, makeup, and sets all bring a genuine 1960s Americana feel to film, allowing you to sink into the time period and story. Chalamet’s commitment to embodying Dylan’s mannerisms, voice, and attitude all add up to what should seem like a career high performance, but due to the movie’s lackluster script and inability to dig deeper, it still feels as though Bob Dylan is a complete stranger.
It is widely known that Bob Dylan was not a fan of sharing personal information or diving into his past, however these limits exude a kind of ego within the film. By not divulging in Dylan’s past or upbringing, it makes his story read as an overnight success who seemingly came out of nowhere and skyrocketed to the top. Ignoring much of Dylan’s emotional side, A Complete Unknown paints him as an insensitive and selfish artist. Part of his appeal is the fact that he does not choose to follow anyone else’s rules, yet we are no closer to understand why he chose to do the things he did.
Biopics has been a long time trend to allow artists, actors, and celebrities of all walks of life to tell their stories on their own terms, or unethically by others. Their entire purpose is to entertain and inform audiences as to the reasons behind their actions, how they came to fame, and how that journey impacted them. A Complete Unknown does none of that and reads rather as a career highlight reel devoid of any person information or emotion.
Monica Barbaro’s performance as Joan Baez is a real highlight in the film. Her voice is incredible, but most of all she brings some grounding to the film. Her interactions with Dylan are the closest we get to seeing any true feelings from him. Her ability to push back against him and fight for what she deserves further highlights how elusive Dylan is when it comes to being vulnerable outside of his music. Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo further confirms how disrespectful and selfish Dylan was when it came to relationships and other people’s emotions. His interactions with women show the most personal side of Dylan, which leaves very little to be desired.
As a Timothée Chalamet fan, you will be elated by his commitment to embodying the notorious singer. As a Bob Dylan fan, you will not learn anything more than what is already out in the world as public information. By trying to escape vulnerability and authentic emotions felt by Dylan, A Complete Unknown is an empty, soulless, and forgettable biopic.
A Complete Unknown is playing in theaters now.
