A Complete Unknown

The good news is that director James Mangold has made a rich, vibrant movie chronicling four key years in Dylan’s life and career without demystifying either the man or his creative process. Together with a uniformly brilliant cast, he’s made one of the best films of 2024.

A Complete Unknown is a drama of scruffy naturalism, with a plot that doesn’t so much unfold as lope right along with its legendary, curly-haired, sunglass-wearing coffee-house troubadour hero. Yet the feel — the effect — is that of a musical.

A Complete Unknown doesn’t attempt to offer up a solution to the enigma that is Bob Dylan. It does something more achievable — shows us what it’s like to bob around the wake of greatness.

A Complete Unknown manages to avoid the worst of it not just with its focus on a set time period, but more importantly with its acceptance of the fact that for a figure like this, we’re never really meant to understand the full scope of the man he is. Because it doesn’t matter if we understand Bob Dylan or not. We just need to appreciate what he did.

What may have begun as a descent into the personal depths of an enigmatic genius ends up as one more cog in the Bob Dylan myth machine.

Chalamet embodies Dylan in a quite literal sense; he’s clearly studied the tape and does a more than passable mimicry of Dylan’s voice and performing style. Problem is, it’s an intentionally opaque characterization, in a film overcrammed with musical performances – onstage, in the studio, on the bed noodling on a new song – which basically means half the movie is like watching pretty good karaoke.

It’s the cinematic equivalent of a classic-rock station, except instead of getting the genuine articles to serenade you, you’re stuck with a bunch of actors cosplaying famous folk singers.

One of the better bipocs out there! Loved every second of it. Had high hopes and met expectations

Aunque A Complete Unknown brilla por una actuación impecable, se queda corta en alma. La película avanza con prisa, entre escenas que parecen más un trámite que un viaje emocional. Termina contando la biografía de Dylan con corrección, pero sin esa chispa que lo hizo leyenda. Es cine bien hecho, sí, pero sin el pulso humano que una historia así merecía.

James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown aims to tell the story of Bob Dylan during a key moment in history, but it doesn’t quite land. Mangold, known for emotionally strong and fast-moving films like Ford v Ferrari and Logan, takes another approach here. But while the slower pace fits Dylan’s vibe, it also makes the film feel too long and, at times, flat. Timothée Chalamet gives a strong performance. He really becomes Dylan, nailing his voice, his energy, and his presence. But the script doesn’t give him enough to work with. We don’t see many emotional highs or lows, no real struggle or even happiness. Chalamet is clearly capable of more, but the material holds him back. The movie runs for over two hours and could easily be shorter. There are several scenes that could be shorten. That said, one of the film’s strengths is the music. We get full performances of his songs, and they’re placed in historical context: Vietnam, civil rights, JFK’s assassination. Those parts are thoughtful and **** the end, A Complete Unknown has strong acting and great music, but the story isn’t deep or dramatic enough to leave a lasting impression. It’s a film with potential, but the script falls short.

A talented cast doesn't make up for the disjointed story that offers snippets of the life of Bob Dylan without truly diving into who the man is. It's awkward, long, and unsatisfying.

Boring as sin. Definitely overrated. Nodded off and was half asleep for some of it, although I tried my best. The main issue was that not much happened during the film. The climax is literally Dylan performing music that the audience dislikes. That's supposed to be the most exciting part of the film. Second, Timothée Chalamet's acting. While I liked him in the Dune series, I'm seeing what people mean when they say he's not a good actor. At least, in some roles or films. Edward Norton did a good job though. Dylan's music was at times performed well in this film, but otherwise it mainly formed a good backdrop for a nap.