This biopic about a young Bob Dylan’s beginning in music starts when he arrives in NYC. With the help of folk legends Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez, he quickly establishes himself as the future of folk music even if older folks want him stuck in the past.
James Mangold, who also brought us Walk the Line, a film about the love between Johnny Cash and June Carter, brings us a much better biopic with A Complete Unknown. I happen to really enjoy Walk the Line, but I loved this new film. I even love Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash more that I do Joaquin Phoenix when he played the musician in Walk the Line. This film also finally makes me a Timothee Chalamet fan. Not a complete convert, but I’m starting to see a real actor underneath the square jaw bone and intentionally tousled hair.
Mangold spends less time on the main character’s flaws in this new film, allowing Bob Dylan to be the aloof rebel whose 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited remains one of the best albums ever released. The film also reflects on the decline of folk music during the 1960’s, a time when The Beatles were taking the world by storm and ushered in a new era of rock music.
What I love about this film is that it not only tells Bob Dylan’s story, but it gives us a wide open look at how his song writing and music affected the industry as a whole. How his relationships with musicians like Joan Baez affected their music as well. Baez is considered one of the most important folk musicians to come out of that era and had established herself already when Dylan hit the scene. Monica Barbaro’s performance as Baez is the one I found myself watching the most. I still see Chalamet performing as Dylan, but when Barbaro was on screen, all I saw was Joan Baez. She was perfect for the role.
The supporting cast includes Ed Norton and Elle Fanning who turn in heartfelt performances. It is Scoot McNairy’s turn as Woody Guthrie who gives the film its real heart however as Guthrie’s relationship with Dylan becomes more of a compass for Dylan to follow as he navigates the expectations that come with sudden fame.
If you manage to make it through this film without tapping your foot to the music, I would be surprised. It isn’t just accent to the film. Dylan’s music is a character of its own, transcendent and prolific.
Four and a half stars out of five. One of my faves from 2024.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
This biopic about a young Bob Dylan’s beginning in music starts when he arrives in NYC. With the help of folk legends Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez, he quickly establishes himself as the future of folk music even if older folks want him stuck in the past.
James Mangold, who also brought us Walk the Line, a film about the love between Johnny Cash and June Carter, brings us a much better biopic with A Complete Unknown. I happen to really enjoy Walk the Line, but I loved this new film. I even love Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash more that I do Joaquin Phoenix when he played the musician in Walk the Line. This film also finally makes me a Timothee Chalamet fan. Not a complete convert, but I’m starting to see a real actor underneath the square jaw bone and intentionally tousled hair.
Mangold spends less time on the main character’s flaws in this new film, allowing Bob Dylan to be the aloof rebel whose 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited remains one of the best albums ever released. The film also reflects on the decline of folk music during the 1960’s, a time when The Beatles were taking the world by storm and ushered in a new era of rock music.
What I love about this film is that it not only tells Bob Dylan’s story, but it gives us a wide open look at how his song writing and music affected the industry as a whole. How his relationships with musicians like Joan Baez affected their music as well. Baez is considered one of the most important folk musicians to come out of that era and had established herself already when Dylan hit the scene. Monica Barbaro’s performance as Baez is the one I found myself watching the most. I still see Chalamet performing as Dylan, but when Barbaro was on screen, all I saw was Joan Baez. She was perfect for the role.
The supporting cast includes Ed Norton and Elle Fanning who turn in heartfelt performances. It is Scoot McNairy’s turn as Woody Guthrie who gives the film its real heart however as Guthrie’s relationship with Dylan becomes more of a compass for Dylan to follow as he navigates the expectations that come with sudden fame.
If you manage to make it through this film without tapping your foot to the music, I would be surprised. It isn’t just accent to the film. Dylan’s music is a character of its own, transcendent and prolific.
Four and a half stars out of five. One of my faves from 2024.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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