Director James Mangold picks a delightful (tumultuous) 4 years of the legendary Folk Singer Bob Dylan’s life leading to a seismic shift in the Folk Music world happening in 1965 Newport Folk Festival that subsequently changes the perception and creation of Folk Music.
‘A Complete Unknown’ Plot and Premise
A daring biopic penned based on several records, ‘A Complete Unknown’ delves into the mind of a young and stealthy Bob Dylan who literally comes from beyond to a city to meet his hero, Woody Guthrie who is affected by a deadly disease. While it is said ‘Never Meet Your Heroes’, meeting Guthrie was life changing for Bob Dylan who not only got to dedicate a song written for his idol but got the opportunity of a lifetime by learning the art under him.
The folk scene in New York is pleasant to have the young talent to perform and cover famous songs. Bob Dylan is backed by Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), a true patron and well connected one to the Folk figures of Hollywood. After having met a beautiful woman, Sylvia Russo falls for him as he charms his way by offering peanuts and contrasting thoughts but lets it slip away duly. A night later in a private party changes Dylan’s life as he meets some of the business minds who have the ticket to fame and popularity.
With passing affairs and profiting relationships, Bob Dylan as an enigma gets the stage he deserves and works tirelessly but feels shortness. The narrative shifts slowly when his thoughts cross paths with Joan Baez, during a tour nonetheless that paved the way for Dylan, the writer and singer who just wants to break free from the mundane covers or just to be out with the impending magic in him. Neatly put by Elijah Wood in 2015, Dylan’s NewPort Folk Festival ‘Split the Sixties’ against all odds, making him attain the freedom along fame he always craved for.
“Breathtaking cinema at the highest level and one of the best films of the year.” A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. A film by James Mangold, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan. Only in theaters Christmas Day. Get tickets now. #ACompleteUnknown https://t.co/4k6WcfAq9Y pic.twitter.com/xyJhWfXzt8
— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) December 23, 2024
What the makers have done right
‘A Complete Unknown’ banks heavily on Timothee Chalamet’s reserved yet piercing personality that is tuned up and down based on the highs and lows of the screenplay. As Dylan has had a good start romantically with Sylvia (Elle Fanning), a blonde beauty with a brain, he strains the relationship further by reaching out to the already popular and settled singer Joan (Monica Barbaro). These characters played with the correct tuning had this magnetic tension shared, especially when Timothee not only follows Joan romantically but craves her fame.
What the makers have missed out
While Russo (name changes and stands for Suze Rotolo), Dylan’s Ex who is a witty, brave young woman but turns as a broken gold ring with its roundness profusely beaten out and tortured as a veil of Dylan’s genius, a peeled off wastage for the titular character’s greatness. Having such talent as Elle Fanning playing a bold and wily yet sheds tears that are moved over by the more ambitious and power hungry character of Joan who treats Dylan as a certified genius with assured success.
"Elle Fanning delivers an emotionally shattering performance"
— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) January 3, 2025
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is NOW PLAYING in theaters everywhere. Experience it in @IMAX NOW. Get tickets today. #ACompleteUnknown https://t.co/zxIZdRn5vI pic.twitter.com/TYBEkNmCxC
‘A Complete Unknown’ from James Mangold and Jay Cocks bleeds out a truly unknown side of the genius and visionary artist whose legacy precedes the genre or his art. Clever subject that is worthy of all the decorations, even stealing several Academy nominations, might not be an equally powerful experience for the crowd other than the west or those fewer pieces of the global following who are aware of the legend and his impact on the Folk Genre. A delightful and deserving biopic with passion, a must watch for sure.
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