A Complete Unknown - A Movie Review

“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.” Bob Dylan (Blowin’ in the Wind)

A Complete Unknown is a 2024 biopic based on the life of American singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan. Starting as an unknown musician upon arrival in New York City in 1961, Dylan makes his name public when he sings and plays his guitar in local nightclubs. He becomes a groundbreaking success.

For this New Year’s movie tradition, my friend and I saw A Complete Unknown. The film’s compelling narration of singer Bob Dylan’s life incorporates several catchy songs and music sequences. The one downside is that the film is predictable and doesn’t offer much originality in his musician storyline.

Timothee Chalomet has conquered remarkable performances in his career and undoubtedly is the highlight as Bob Dylan. Chalomet embodies Dylan’s elusive persona in his striking rise to fame. He sang live in his scenes. I have mixed opinions on his singing voice because he sounded like he was trying too hard to match Dylan’s sound quality in some scenes.

A stellar cast joins A Complete Unknown. Elle Fanning has been on the rise to stardom lately. She shines as Sylvia Russo, a fictional character in Dylan’s romances based on the late real-life artist, Suze Rotolo. Monica Barbero also delivers a strong performance as Joan Baez. She has a remarkable singing voice.

Edward Norton plays Dylan’s manager, Pete Seeger, who tries to keep the singer on track. Grossman implements encouraging talks to Dylan, helping him with his career. The film also includes the talents of Joe Tippett, Scoot McNairy, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Folger, and Riley Hashimoto to help flesh out Dylan’s world.

James Mangold crafts a visually rich narrative. He had a tough time presenting Dylan in the film, though he discovered a route that audiences would adhere to. Ultimately, he succeeds at portraying Dylan as both an artist and a person.

To me, the film sticks to the usual musician biopic formula where we watch their rise to fame, listen to several songs and have a brief crisis. While the love triangle between Dylan, Sylvia, and Joan adds some depth, there are no new angles.

Music plays an immense role in A Complete Unknown, present in every scene. The music sequences were all performed live. A medley of songs are performers from famous singers. Fans of Bob Dylan will recognize songs, ‘Song to Woody,’ ‘Girl From the North Country,’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind.”

Music has a world of its own, telling stories and bringing people together. My favorite scene was Dylan singing to an ill Woody Guthrie (McNairy). Despite the hardships Dylan faces in his rise to fame, he finds the heart in his music.

Mangold and the filmmakers were persistent in recreating Dylan’s world, and so they researched 1960s New York City and consulted archives to ensure authenticity. This film was tough to put on its feet due to interferences with the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes. I don’t know a lot about Dylan’s life, but I read that A Complete Unknown has some factual errors.

Cinematically, this film has gorgeous angles and edits. An opening shot has never struck me like this, but cinematographer, Phedon Papamichael, starts A Complete Unknown with a defining shot that immediately sets the stage for audiences. Bob Dylan is riding in a car with his guitar nearby. This shot defines the musician's life.

Aside from the spots where the film could have encased more originality, A Complete Unknown is a satisfying film. Watching it in the cinema is like attending a concert.