Movie Review: ‘A Complete Unknown’

Plot: Based on the 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric” by Elijah Wald, director James Mangold’s newest musical biopic explores legendary folk singer and lyricist Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet). Beginning with Dylan’s arrival in 1961 New York City as a nineteen year old aspiring singer/songwriter and concluding with his infamous performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, A Complete Unknown charts the early years of a musical genius as he struggles with fame and the expectations of the folk music community. The film also examines his relationships with some of the most profound artists of the time including Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), and Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook).

Review: I’m a sucker for a great music biopic. Whether it’s Milos Forman’s masterpiece Amadeus, Taylor Hackford’s soulful recounting of Ray Charles’ life in Ray, or James Mangold’s own brilliant Walk the Line, I love them all. Hell, I even found a few redeeming qualities in 2018’s much maligned Bohemian Rhapsody, and that’s saying something. Essentially, if you offer me a music biopic you’ll have my money 99% of the time. However, I was particularly interested in A Complete Unknown, even though you could fit the sum total of my Dylan knowledge inside a kazoo. I remember watching the teaser trailer and tearing up because I couldn’t help thinking about my late mother who introduced me to folk music as a teenager. I have a distinct and treasured memory of her singing and dancing to “A Simple Desultory Philippic” by Simon and Garfunkel in my bedroom.

While not on the same level as Mangold’s earlier film Walk the Line, A Complete Unknown proves a strong and compelling examination of the enigmatic Dylan. Rather than present a cradle-to-grave story (you’d honestly need a limited series for that), Mangold and screenwriter Jay Cocks (Silence, Gangs of New York) focus on the first four years of Dylan’s career. Their choice allows for a deeper dive into the stratospheric rise of Dylan from a nineteen year old singer, to the world famous face of folk music. The works of Dylan are on full display here, with Mangold using Dylan’s work to paint a picture of the era. However, the songs are so relentless it gets a little exhausting. There’s often not enough time for scenes to breathe before it’s on to the next song. Additionally, Mangold and Cocks seem less interested in examining Dylan the man, and more interested in Dylan the iconic music legend. Their choice undoubtedly will affect your response to this movie as it did mine. The decision didn’t always work for me, but your mileage may vary.

Despite my personal opinion on Mangold’s approach to Bob Dylan, there’s no question A Complete Unknown is technically proficient, bordering on pristine. First and foremost, A Complete Unknown actually looks and feels like it’s set in 1960s New York City. Too many historical films today come across as the director’s interpretation of a specific era. That’s not the case here, with Mangold’s perennial cinematography collaborator Phedon Papamichael doing yeoman’s work. Additionally, Mangold and his production designer Francois Audouy have taken great pains to re-create the “beautiful kaleidoscope of New York,” of that time, particularly Greenwich Village, where Dylan often performed. Arianne Phillips’ costume design complements Audouy’s work, with her meticulous research crucial to creating a distinct and accurate 1960s folk clothing style.

From a performance perspective, everyone delivers excellent work in A Complete Unknown. Fresh off her role as fighter pilot Natasha “Phoenix” Chase in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, Monica Barbaro gets to flex her acting muscles here, with her Joan Baez a dynamic and nuanced character. The tension arising from her complicated relationship with Dylan made for some of the best scenes in the movie. Elle Fanning delivers an even better performance as Dylan’s initial love interest and muse Sylvie Russo (a stand-in for the real life Suze Rotolo). Fanning showcases true vulnerability as her relationship with Bob Dylan evolves over time and his orbit grows larger. Meanwhile Boyd Holbrook brings a layer of gravitas and smoky smoothness to his Johnny Cash in the little screen time he has. Initially a pen pal of Dylan, Cash proves to be one of Dylan’s biggest supporters encouraging him to “make some noise” and “track some mud on the carpet.” Edward Norton also disappears into the role of Pete Seeger, one of the founders of folk music. Seeger’s relationship with Dylan ends up being just as complicated, if not moreso, than Sylvie and and Joan’s. The always welcome Scoot McNairy also captivates in the most heartfelt and heartbreaking supporting role in the movie as folk legend Woody Guthrie. Suffering form the ravages of Huntington’s disease, McNairy’s performance is virtually silent, with everything conveyed through the eyes, facial expressions, and awkward movements.

As for Timothee Chalamet, his performance as Bob Dylan is nothing less than astounding. The concern with a role like this is you run the risk of it coming off as Chalamet doing a Dylan parody. However, that’s not the case here. Chalamet’s transformation is so complete and so mesmerizing that I often forgot he was playing a role. Chalamet commits fully in Mangold’s film, singing and playing guitar and harmonica on no less than forty songs. Yet, the most rewarding thing about Chalamet’s work here is how excellent he is at portraying a superstar trapped by the expectations of an entire genre of music that he’s the face of. It’s a prison, a box that limits artistic freedom. I honestly didn’t understand the significance of Dylan going electric and how much of a betrayal that was for many folk music fans, until I saw A Complete Unknown. It’s the equivalent of Bob Iger suddenly telling Disney fans that the corporation is going to start making animated erotic thrillers. That’s the kind of visceral reaction folk music fans had. With Chalamet only having just turned twenty-nine, we are still in the infancy of what will no doubt be the storied and fruitful career of a legendary actor.

While A Complete Unknown wasn’t the complete homerun I was hoping it would be, there’s nevertheless a lot to love in Mangold’s beautiful music biopic.

My rating system:

1 God Awful Blind Yourself With Acid Bad

2 Straight Garbage

3 Bad

4 Sub Par

5 Average

6 Ok

7 Good

8 Great

9 Excellent

10 A Must See

Masterpiece

A Complete Unknown: 7/10