User reviews

Honestly I had very low expectations for "a complete unknown". Making a biopic about a person that's still alive, and such a specific and unique person as Bob Dylan had to have looked like nothing other than a caricature. But somehow Timothee transformed and became Dylan so organically and so effortlessly. The period of time when Dylan was in his early twenties, when the world was getting acquainted with him as well as he was with his own self was done well. I appreciated the humor in the script, our audience got in a few genuine laughs throughout the 2 hour run.

Monica Barbaro playing Joan was a breath of fresh air! I hope she gets the praise she deserves for this and more opportunities in the future.

Elle Fanning was a slightly disappointing choice for a character based on Suze Rotolo who according to Bob was this breathtaking and striking woman. I didn't feel like Elle did her best work, she was too much Elle Fanning.

However my favorite part must have been Edward Norton as Pete Seeger. I am unfamiliar with the real Pete Seeger so I cannot compare but Edward Norton did a fantastic job in the film.

I will not likely see this film again, but walking out of the theater I had a nice aftertaste of the honor to legacy that Bob Dylan will leave (and already has) in this world. Timmy deserves an Oscar nomination and recognition for this role. I'm very curious to compare this to the Bruce Springsteen biopic with Jeremy Allen White when it comes out.

In the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," Director/Co-Writer James Mangold ignores many of the conventions associated with this genre, tropes he treated more respectfully in "Walk the Line" and "Ford v. Ferrari." Mangold's non-traditional approach gives him the flexibility to effectively address his decidedly non-traditional subject.

This film is a fascinating mix of fact, outright fabrication, fantasy and supposition. It's a chaotic mixture endorsed by Dylan, who has had his own on-again/off-again relationship with the truth. Dylan once said, "Truth was the last thing on my mind, and even if there was such a thing, I didn't want it in my house." This film is stronger because of the liberties it takes. It mashes together characters and events. It jumbles events with no regard for chronological order. It's as comfortable including events that "might have happened" or "should have happened" as it is faithfully retelling events that are well-documented. It's all in keeping with Dylan's penchant for "self-mythologizing."

"A Complete Unknown" explores the period from 1961-1965, when Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) moves to NYC from Minnesota, meets Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), becomes part of the folk scene in Greenwich Village, encounters Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and has a relationship with Sylvie (Elle Fanning), an artist/activist whose beliefs motivate him to perform at the 1963 March on Washington and to pen "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This period culminates with Dylan and his band performing with electric, not acoustic, instruments at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, a controversial event many heralded as the bridge between traditional folk and rock music. Along the way, we see how he deals with his sudden fame, a development as unwanted as it was unexpected.

What distinguishes this film is the acting. All the performers do their own singing. Chalamet is outstanding as Dylan. He does a reasonable depiction of Dylan on stage, but that's the least impressive part of his performance. An eggplant could impersonate Dylan because of his unique singing style. What makes Chalamet's performance so noteworthy is his ability to portray a man who is distant, aloof, driven, uncaring, enigmatic and determinedly self-absorbed - embracing all those negative traits while exuding a charisma that keeps the moviegoer fixated, despite his character being unlikeable in so many ways.

Edward Norton is excellent as stolid, workmanlike singer and banjo player Pete Seeger. Norton's performance demands that we acknowledge Seeger's sense of fundamental decency. Boyd Holbrook has too few appearances as Dylan pen pal and friend Johnny Cash. In the film, Cash encourages Dylan's rebellious instincts, telling him to "go track some mud on somebody's carpet. Make some noise, big D." But the most impressive performance is by Monica Barbaro (the female pilot in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick) as Joan Baez. With no formal training as a singer or musician, Barbaro prepared for a year for this role. Here, she shows off her strong, clear soprano while portraying a singer whose voice has been described as "incomparable."

The content included in (and omitted from) "A Complete Unknown" is sure to inspire debate and disagreement. I'm confident Director Mangold and the subject of the film wouldn't have it any other way.

There was one weakness in this film that made inferior to Inside Llewyn Davis; it lacked authenticity. How odd that a completely fictional character like Llewyn Davis had the feel of the real Bob Dylan, and the Bob Dylan film did not.

I lived through this era personally. I loved this music as it started, and evolved from 1961 to the present day. I remember strolling through the Village feeling more alive than at any other time of my life. I went to the early shows of Bob Dylan, and thought he was a genius.

This film, however, does not match Inside Llewyn Davis for catching that sense of genius. It is very slick, and well done, but just not as authentic.

The writer-director, James Mangold, does a magnificent job of capturing the atmosphere of the 1960s with great authenticity. His inclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy Assassination mirror the anxiety of the times.

The lead actor, TImothee Chalamet, does an outstanding job as Dylan. He is amply supported by a powerhouse cast led by Edward Norton.

The story about Dylan's arrival in the Village in the early 60s was done well.

The cinematography and set designs are letter-perfect; but something was missing. Believability.

Even if you've heard the songs ten-thousand times, one of the many remarkable things about "A Complete Unknown" is remembering - or reliving - the sensation of hearing them for the first time.

People who tear up just watching the trailer for this Bob Dylan biopic will know what I'm talking about.

People who don't - including a couple of generations who weren't around yet - have a lot to learn from writer-director James Mangold's magnificent retelling of Dylan's early years. They span his 1961 arrival in Greenwich Village and pilgrimage to the bedside of dying Woody Guthrie, to the Newport Folk Festival where he upended the folk music world he had championed by going electric in 1965.

The movie features incredible Golden Globe-nominated performances - more like feats of channeling - by Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, along with Monica Barbaro doing a wonderful Joan Baez and Elle Fanning as long-suffering girlfriend Sylvia Russo.

But the film's real "star" is the music, rather than the prickly personality of this honky tonk American demigod destined to win a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, and to still be performing on his endless tour well into his 80s.

With all the stars doing their own singing, "A Complete Unknown" is a chills-up-the-spine musical treasure chest, overflowing with dozens of the greatest songs ever written. Viewers of my generation will thrill witnessing the moment of creation of songs that changed history, over and over. Not only are the songs born anew, but still images - album cover photos in particular, stared at for years - come to life before our eyes.

Backgrounds, too - Greenwich Village, Manhattan apartments, recording studios and penthouses; outdoor folk festivals from Newport to Monterey - shine, seemingly in the light generated by the idealism of that brief American moment. Filmmaker Mangold's beautiful film pulses with energy amid all the impeccably observed period details.

Burning with ambition when he arrived in New York, 19-year-old Bobby Dylan had a new name and fanciful stories of traveling with carney shows instead of true accounts of his upbringing as Robert Zimmerman in Hibbing, Minnesota. A slave of his music, he was hardly ready when the fame he had sought descended on him overnight.

His genius and intuition were once-in-a-generation gifts. His psyche and temperament were made of flimsier stuff ... even though he was almost as good at wisecracking as he was at writing songs.

"You know, you're kind of an asshole," Joan Baez tells him shortly after they get together.

That doesn't stop them from making beautiful music together, amidst all the other exhilarating performances on screen.

The tension between Dylan's almighty gift and his his very human difficulties handling it make "A Complete Unknown" unlike other music biopics. Fans know lots of the details already. Every time Bob climbs on his Triumph, we know where he's heading.

Time has always been Dylan's "thing." He's a physicist as much as a poet in understanding the nature of change. The songs he wrote in the film's time frame were astounding for summing up everything, from romantic love to geopolitics, in words everyone knew were true the first time we heard them. It was Dylan, rather than our teachers in school, who educated us.

Sixty years later, at the other end of the timeline, his lyrics are just as just as immediate, just as profound, just as funny.

Bob Dylan was, and is, the voice of our culture in our time.

There's no way this movie can't be an homage and tribute, but it doesn't glorify.

Instead, it's more honest ... more interesting ... more ambiguous ... For all the books, PhD dissertations and decades of efforts to know the man behind the voice, Bob Dylan remains as elusive and enigmatic as ever. There's no "answer" to what, or who, he is.

He just is.

"A Complete Unknown" is just a new way of connecting some of the dots, resulting in a wonderfully alive film experience, a musical thrill show, a return to our youth.

When it opens in theaters Christmas Day, I imagine I won't have been the only one sitting through the final credits just to hear the songs one more time.

It was almost embarrassing to watch this film. I felt like somebody crawled into my skull and rummaged around until they found the elements of the perfect movie.

I've read Pete Seeger's autobiography, "The Incomplete Folk Singer," and the autobiography of Joan Baez, "Daybreak" along with seeing the two of them in concert several times. I have played the music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan so much that, finally, the grooves on their records said, "Look, we're exhausted. Play something else for a while."

That's my long-winded way of saying that everything felt authentic. In the opening scene Dylan takes his first steps in the Village. He passed Cafe Wha?. I started to cry. I became instantly homesick for that wonderful era.

Everyone was spot on. Timothee Chalamet was flawless as Dylan. I never thought anyone could get Joan Baez, but Monica Barbaro did a remarkable job (I wasn't familiar with her, but she just shot to the top of my list). But special praise has to be given to Ed Norton's transformation into Pete Seeger. There were times when he cocked his head or the breeze caught his hair or moved or inflected his voice or seeing him with his wife, Toshi, that Norton was gone. I only saw Pete. I cried when I saw him. I'm crying now, as I write this.

Please, if you know this era, and especially if you don't, see this movie.

"So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh." Woody Guthrie (Scott McNairy)

Those of us alive in early '60's could not have known the nasal, raspy-voiced 19-year-old, Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet), would one day change folk music forever. Director James Mangold in the biopic A Complete Unknown, perfectly captures the times changing and Dylan as he takes us from Pete Seeger's traditional folk to Dylan's own brand of folk rock.

The surprise in this solid one-of-the-best of the year, is how much music Mangold and co-writer Jay Cocks give the audience. Besides, several of the tunes are played in full by the lead actors, not something I could say even in the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody. Another surprise, Chalamet can sing very well.

Inevitably, a folk star must contend with the attentions of women, either friends or colleagues. The latter are represented in the distractingly attractive Joan Baez (Monia Barbaro), both talented and beautiful. Her biopic, I Am a Noise, explained her ambivalence toward Dylan, who was her opposite with his growing selfish mien.

Lover Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), not as talented or beautiful as Baez, represents the collateral damage from his fame. Despite his growing disaffection, she still influenced him to write such classics as A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall and The Times They are A Changin.

Both women are treated as important parts of Dylan's life, not just weepy or ineffectually forlorn. Baez was never neutralized by his allure, whereas Sylvie shriveled. The film captures this rough spot in his life while it also champions his talent. Let's face it-he was distant, downright enigmatic, and the film doesn't try to explain why. But then, other attempts at understanding him such as Scorsese's No Direction Home and Haynes' I'm Not There failed as well. Dylan's just too interior to be flushed out.

What these and other parts of his life also show is Dylan's insensitivity while he could sing of more loving attitudes to mankind in general. It is commonly known that artists can be abrasive and dismissive but also creative beyond measure. Dylan, however, clashes with the warm and caring Pete Seeger (Edward Norton, waiting I predict for an Oscar nomination) over Dylan's electrifying folk music, one of the intriguing conflicts the film does not sugarcoat.

Besides the splendid period accuracy, A Complete Unknown offers multiple musical sequences to delight even the newest audiences. After seeing this bountiful biopic, audiences witness Dylan becoming better known and his music eternal for even the most conservative audience.

One of the best films of the year and a biopic for the ages.

I was expecting a lot from this film and in some cases it delivered. The acting is great across the board with Chalamet portraying Dylan brilliantly and his singing is really on point.

The problem with the film is that the story reads like a greatest hits rather than a biopic. It's like the writers and director wanted to fit as many songs in as possible and forgot they were meant to be telling a story at the same time.

It's not a bad film in any way, I just was expecting it to be better than average. With the quality of acting and singing in the film it really deserved better story telling to go with it.

I loved A Complete Unknown. To me, it is a story of lost innocence-a modern fall from Eden. Dylan's relentless chase for what he thinks will make him happy only highlights his longing for what he has already lost. The problem is, he doesn't know who he is. His evolving relationships mirror the changes in his music, and by the end, he seems to realize that whatever he's become, he regrets some of his choices because there's no going back.

And the soundtrack? Absolutely killer-every track perfectly captures Dylan's transformation and inner conflict, making the film an unforgettable theater experience.

I do like a music based film, and I'm old enough to know and like Bob. I think Timothy is good, but previously so young looking I struggled with some of his roles. Here he grows up. Bob Dylan is a great part for him, and he plays him well, maturing physically and as an actor.

The film seemed a little "clean" and in the midst of the mid 60's onward, drugs seem to be limited to cigarettes! Even Bob himself has talked about drugs issues related to opioids and psychedelics, so it did seem an important admission, maybe related to Bob still being with us.

However still an entertaining biopic with great music which was the focus (as it should bet) for the Nobel prize winning icon.

Driving home from the cinema happily singing along to Bob which clearly had the desired effect. 7/10.

I went to the cinema today to watch this film because I'm a fan of Bob Dylan's work. The film exceeded my expectations in the best way possible. Initially, I thought it would be a 6 out of 10 at best, but I realized it surpasses other movies about musical icons like Freddie Mercury, Elton John, or Ray Charles.

The movie is over two hours long, but I didn't even notice how the time flew by. It felt like I was witnessing a part of someone's remarkable and incredible life on screen, and I didn't want it to end. The performances by the cast were absolutely brilliant-beyond praise. Edward Norton surprised me for the first time in a long while, as did Elle Fanning. Timothée Chalamet portrayed Bob Dylan in an incredibly captivating way. What impressed me the most was that he sang continuously without any noticeable flaws. The way he performed was so convincing that, for me, even Rami Malek didn't portray Freddie Mercury as well as Chalamet portrayed Dylan.

The cinematography was solid, though there's not much more to say about it. The plot was engaging and atmospheric, capturing the emotions of the era and the characters' experiences, how they changed, and what influenced them. The music, of course, was magnificent-it's Bob Dylan, after all. Timothée Chalamet's efforts to speak and sing like Dylan were astonishing.

I haven't seen a great film in a year, not since the release of Dune: Part Two, where Chalamet also played the lead. What an amazing coincidence. I hope Timothée becomes one of the greatest actors of the new generation, avoiding the trap of becoming a "plastic" performer. Instead, I hope he continues to improvise and strive for excellence in his roles. Good actors are becoming rare, just like good films.

I'm giving my rating right after watching it, though I might adjust it later when my emotions settle. I definitely plan to rewatch the movie to notice things I may have missed the first time. This is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year. I'm so glad I saw it in theaters and highly recommend it to everyone. 9/10.

This is a strange movie. It's a lot of music performances that fill its 140 minutes. One doesn't know if James Mangold is trying to say the music is too sacred to interrupt it (which would be a little silly) or if he is just trying to stay very close to the music with the belief that it's ultimately the best vehicle to tell the story.

Either way, one comes out of the movie feeling like you didn't learn much about Bob Dylan. But you do understand he was a mystery, a man full of contradictions, surfing between naïveté and genius. And you feel a little like his girlfriend Sylvie: right there during the performances but not any closer to him than any of the members of the audience.

The result is the movie stays with you for days, and that is much to its credit. Timothée Chalamet delivers a strong performance as Bob Dylan, but he is one of those actors, like Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise, where it's hard to see the character behind the actor. Despite the prosthetics, you still see Timothée Chalamet more so than Bob Dylan.

As a huge Dylan fan, I had high expectations based on the trailers and Chalamet's interviews. The movie still surpassed it.

First, as most people noted, the acting is suberb. I've listened to a lot of Dylan, Baez, and Seeger songs. After about 20 minutes, you forget it's an actor doing an impersonation. That's how much they nail the voice, singing, intonation, mannerisms, etc. Monica Barbaro is highly underrated as she mirrors Baez's singing very well.

Second, the movie chose a great plot that captured a lot of the nuance of the time and actual life of Bob Dylan. I knew a lot of the history and they picked great moments and used a great story to tell it. And zero cheesiness or overly heroic portrayals of its revered subject matter.

Overall, an incredibly well-made movie made even better by Chalamet, Barbaro, and Norton killing it.

I was more impressed by the film's technical aspects than its narrative. Mangold has returned to the vibrant color palette he employed in Identity (2003), departing from the muted tones of films like 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Logan (2017).

The visuals, captured with Sony Venice cameras at an ISO of 12800, create a stunning New York composition.

Those who, like me, have seen Todd Haynes' I'm Not There (2007) won't be claiming that Timothée Chalamet "became Bob Dylan," despite his undeniably strong performance.

However, Monica Barbaro truly embodies Joan Baez.

Certain shots in the film so closely resemble Bob Dylan's photographic archive that I found myself exclaiming "I've seen this photo!" over thirty times throughout the viewing. It's as if there was no script, and an AI was simply tasked with creating a film using chronologically arranged Bob Dylan photographs. Bob Dylan collectors like myself might particularly enjoy seeing the photographs from the album sleeves come to life.

Yes, this is an excellent biopic, but that's largely due to the dearth of well-made biographical films that aren't filled with decontextualized anecdotes.

And yes, this is a superb New York film. The technical achievements I mentioned earlier contribute to a magnificent depiction of the era's New York. I suspect the film's Oscar prospects might lie in these categories.

Incidentally, while Chalamet claims to have performed many of the songs himself, there's a clear technical enhancement in the vocal delivery.

The truth is, the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), despite its understated narrative, captures the era, the people, and the New York depicted in this film far more effectively, and in monochrome. I hadn't realized how deeply Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) had resonated with me until I saw this film.

Bob Dylan is one of the most well-known singer-songwriters in history. Ever since the release of his second album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' in 1963, he has been a household name. His influence is undeniable- whether one appreciates his music or not. Reflecting the hopes, struggles and aspirations of the times he helped to change, his songs struck a chord with the youth of the 1960's, becoming anthems for the civil rights movement and anti-war protests.

Throughout his career, Dylan continually reinvented himself, transitioning controversially from folk to rock (and even later to gospel). His ever-evolving music stylings have both delighted and bewildered fans, showcasing his refusal to be confined to a single genre. Yet, despite his fame, Dylan has remained an elusive, enigmatic figure; a man whom the world can admire but never really understand. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, underscoring the profound impact of his songwriting.

In 2015, Elijah Wald's book 'Dylan Goes Electric' was released, exploring the cultural, political and historical context behind Dylan's appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Taking to the stage with an electric guitar, his appearance shocked the audience- and altered musical history forever. A finely written, well-researched book, it is a must-read for anyone interested in Bob Dylan, or even those who are not.

Sadly, the film adaptation of said book is not a must-watch. Directed by James Mangold, 'A Complete Unknown' charts Dylan's early years and rise to fame. Beginning in 1961, it follows the young musician as he arrives in New York City, immersing himself in the Greenwich Village folk scene. People think he is a genius; the next great hope for folk music. Time goes by and, as he evolves musically, those around him start to wonder: just who is Bob Dylan?

It's a fascinating question, as the man truly is an enigma. Mangold, alongside screenwriter Jay Cocks, can't, and don't, answer it. Dylan has been mythologised as long as he's been around, and the film does very little to demystify him. Unlike Todd Haynes strange, but engaging 'I'm Not There,' Mangold's film bills itself as a biographical drama, meaning- despite the title- one could reasonably expect to learn something from it. However, one learns nothing about Dylan that any stoned ex-hippie couldn't tell you with more clarity, insight and assurance.

Further, Mangold and Cocks have written the narrative from behind rose-tinted glasses, seeming hesitant to criticise Dylan- or even portray him as a mere mortal. They treat him with such deference it seems like they're canvassers trying to get the man a sainthood. When they do dare to include some criticism, it's trivial stuff that amounts to little more than him being an arrogant egotist. Biopics are rarely unbiased when it comes to their subject; but Mangold and Cocks don't even pretend to be.

Worse than that is how dull their version of Dylan is. It's hard to imagine that the exceedingly aloof character presented in the film could ever amount to- or care about- anything. He's so apathetic he might as well be dead. This means the supposed effect he's meant to have on people doesn't ring true. What is the allure he holds? He's boring when he isn't rude, and is both most of the time: the equivalent of a moody teenager, desperately wanting the world to think they're deep.

Love him or hate him, Dylan is a lot more interesting than the hollow, lifeless representation the film offers, as is his life story. The linear narrative is as dull as dishwater, with a pace so laboriously slow it would irritate a sloth. There really isn't much to the story; it is more akin to a lengthy succession of music videos than a fully-fledged biopic. Meanwhile, all the characters are little more than cardboard cut-outs, lacking characterisation and depth. Moreover, the dialogue throughout is so pretentious it would make Niles from 'Frasier' scoff.

The whole affair is paint-by-numbers filmmaking, resulting in a conventional, bland biopic underserving the icon at its centre. The narrative is frustratingly mediocre at best and, at worst, so mind-numbingly dull it would make you want to go knockin' on heavens' door. Mangold appears to think that by calling the film 'A Complete Unknown,' he can get away with not revealing anything of substance and audiences will accept it- which, going by its overwhelmingly positive response so far, many do.

Conversely, François Audouy's atmospheric production design is commendable. From the streets of New York City, to the Newport Folk Festival, every location looks accurate to the time period of the early sixties. The detailed set decoration compounds this sense of authenticity, bringing to life the small but bustling nightclubs and artsy apartments that populate Dylan's world. In addition, while Phedon Papamichael's cinematography may be a bit conventional, it does contribute to the realism of the venture. So too does Arianne Phillips' striking costume design, meticulously recreating the era's fashion.

Furthermore, the soundtrack, featuring Dylan's iconic songs performed by Timothée Chalamet, is a high point, although proceedings sometimes feel more like a tribute concert than a biographical drama. Moreover, Andrew Buckland and Scott Morris's editing, while competent, struggles to maintain a cohesive flow, particularly during the transitions between Dylan's different phases.

Starring as Dylan, Chalamet does a stellar job mimicking his unique singing voice. It subtly changes throughout, the way Dylan's changed from record to record. He also plays the guitar and harmonica more than capably. However, in the face of Mangold and Cocks's one-note characterisation, there's nothing he can do with the role. As written, Dylan is nothing more than a charmless narcissist; which is how Chalamet plays it. He may do a brilliant Dylan impersonation, but it's still just that: an impersonation. Chalamet fails to elevate the character into a fully fleshed-out person.

Elle Fanning stars as Dylan's on-again, off-again girlfriend Sylvie. Apparently based on his real-life former flame, artist and activist Suze Rotolo, Fanning brings an emotional intelligence and vulnerability to the part that is most affecting. Meanwhile, Edward Norton is thoughtful and measured as the ever-warm Pete Seeger, playing him like a banjo-wielding Mister Rogers. Instantly likable, he shines, overcoming the limited characterisation of the role.

Monica Barbaro does similarly fine work as Joan Baez. Not only does she sound quite like her, but she shares her allure. Barbaro also succeeds where Chalamet fails, in that she makes Baez feel like a real person- and a charismatic one, too. In addition, Boyd Holbrook nearly steals the show as Johnny Cash, even if he doesn't really look or sound like him, while Scoot McNairy gives a remarkably powerful silent performance as an ailing Woody Guthrie.

In conclusion, James Mangold's 'A Complete Unknown' is like a bad photograph of a shadow: the subject may be inherently elusive, but the quality of its portrayal should still be better. It is clearly Oscar bait, trading on the love for its subject matter in an attempt to win critical and commercial success- which it has largely been successful at doing. Unlike his previous 'Walk the Line,' which was a lot more accomplished and assured, Mangold's film doesn't explore the character at its heart in enough depth to truly make a mark or add anything of note to the discourse surrounding Dylan.

Despite striking production design, as well as fine performances, the film is underwhelming. Mangold and Cocks's dull narrative and the overly reverential approach to their subject results in a film that is decidedly uninspired. Although the music is rousing, the Bob Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown' is ultimately little more than a shallow caricature of the artist as a young man.

A Complete Unknown is a prelude into Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) career and it begins when Dylan arrives in New York City to visit his folk music hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), an American singer-songwriter and composer, who is hospitalized at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital due to a neurodegenerative disease that left him mobility impaired. Woody is notably known for the song This Land Is Your Land, which we see Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) playing this song during his court trial - for contempt of Congress, which was overturned on a technicality. The song has some deep fascinating history, and Norton did it some justice with his remarkable singing. Later in the movie, Norton sings The Lion Sleeps Tonight while playing the banjo, which was pure enjoyment.

The film also depicts how Pete Seeger is captivated by Bob Dylan's talent and his easygoing personality that he decides to promote his music career. Like your typical musician, Dylan finds himself caught in a love triangle with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) - the one that encourages his song writing and supports him financially, and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) - the one that introduces Dylan to her audience and boosts his music career. Monica Barbaro's singing was beyond impressive and heavenly. She hit those high notes so delicately and precise.

Huge praise to Director and Writer James Mangold in successfully illustrating Bob Dylan's journey in becoming one of the greatest songwriters of all time. James Mangold, known for Walk the Line, included Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) as Dylan's motivation for not becoming a novelty act and encouraged him to make a statement and bring out his rebel side regarding change - Civil Rights Movements, which can be heard throughout the lyrics in the songs, The Times They Are a-Changin' and Like a Rolling Stone - where he performed it at the Newport Folk Festival with an electric musical instruments, and history was made.

Timothée Chalamet certainly had some big shoes to fill taking on the challenge of portraying the young enigmatic Bob Dylan. Chalamet truly stuns the audience radiating that Bob Dylan 60s folk rock vibe with the symbolic harmonica and those fashion iconic sunglasses. A Complete Unknown will leave you wanting an encore.

A Complete Unknown is a fantastic movie, the performances are all top notch. This movie should walk away with many awards from best picture and Timothys acting was spot on to be an Oscar winning performance.

Ed Norton wins best supporting actor without any questions.

I saw Dylan last year in Chicago and all the songs he preformed were from his Rowdy Ways album, I like many others wanted to here some of his old standards like you will here in the movie, it's similar to what happens in the film.

I can't say enough about this film. I will be listening to the soundtrack often, it's that good.

I'm listening to the soundtrack as I am writing this review. The music is.

Just came back from the theatre this evening and and felt a bit deflated.

Timmy just didn't live up to the expectation.

His detached, semi broody sort of 'sexy timing' thing is alright I guess, for portaying an a#hole, but not at all the qualities I'd want to depict a complex and rounded human being and artist as I imagine Dylan is.

Thank god for every time Edward Norton appeared on screen. Almost like someone shook me up to pay attention to the movie. Mr Norton was able to make it interesting somehow, but I saw a lot of other talented actors just falling through the cracks of this thin story.

Because it just missed a substantial story. That's the real flaw.

I know the songs. Yes they are great. But I hoped for a little more to get my teeth in.

Left the theatre feeling like I saw 'the best off', without really getting any wiser.

And that T. C. needs to get a little more life experience.

I was completely captivated by this film-Timothée Chalamet's transformation into Bob was nothing short of extraordinary. He didn't just play the role; he became Bob, bringing an authenticity and depth that made me forget I was watching an actor. The live musical performances were breathtaking, both visually and sonically, adding a raw, intimate energy that drew me in even further. Ed's portrayal of Pete was phenomenal, brimming with charisma and nuance. And Timothée's singing? Absolutely mesmerizing-his voice perfectly captured Bob's essence, weaving a spellbinding authenticity into every note. This film is a masterpiece, a must-see for fans and newcomers alike.

I knew next to nothing about Bob Dylan going into this movie. I could name maybe 3-4 of his songs and knew nothing about what he was like as a person. To me he really was 'A Complete Unknown'. By the end of the film I had heard a lot of his music and had a general sense of what he was like, but the whole experience still felt very hollow.

I think this is mainly because Dylan was clearly a very unpleasant man and the film had to dodge around this. The first half of the movie just feels like reason after reason for him to sing another song. The other musical biopics have had such charismatic lead characters to portray (though still highly flawed most of the time), whereas here they knew that if they put too much of Dylan being himself forward it would become very tedious, very fast.

And that's what bogs the second half of the movie down. It starts to really try to explore his acclimation to fame. It should be interesting, but it's just unpleasant. The movie also has a shockingly small amount of conflict. There are ugly scenes here and there, but very little consequential conflict.

I had to laugh at the written pieces on screen at the end of the film. It's like, hey you know that guy we just spent the last 2 and a half hours convincing you he was a monster? Well, here's some nice things about him.

Overall this just felt like a very hollow experience. The movie sounded good, for the most part and Timothée Chalamet's performance was excellent. Outside of that though I'm struggling to see where a Best Picture nomination came from. 6/10.

At the risk of sounding like a philistine, I have to admit that I like the idea of Bob Dylan more than I actually like listening to him. I even (I know, it's sacrilege) like his songs better when performed by other people. And I mostly hate biopics, and have even to a certain extent put a personal moratorium on watching them because they're always so boring.

So suffice it to say that I was not going into "A Complete Unknown" feeling like the slam-dunk target audience. Imagine my surprise, then, when within 10 minutes, the film had me almost in tears (it's when Edward Norton, playing Pete Seeger, performs "This Land Is Your Land" outside a courthouse where he's just been found in contempt of Congress for not naming names), and from that moment on I was hooked.

I did not expect this film to move me as much as it did, and I think that's where it succeeds where so many other biopics fail. In this movie, you get a robust sense of what Bob Dylan's music meant to American culture, and even bigger than that, you get a sense of how music in general, and the folk movement specifically, is able to capture the anger, pain, frustration, hope, and sadness of a population that wants better from its country. It helps that this isn't a biopic in the sense that it tells Dylan's life story. Rather, it's about a specific moment in his career when he started to move away from his folk roots into a more electronic sound, and how his growth as an artist started to butt heads with what people wanted from him. The other biographical film this put me most in mind of was "The Buddy Holly Story" from 1978, as both are less about the lives of the artists and more about their actual art.

The scene where Dylan and Joan Baez break into an impromptu version of "Blowin' in the Wind" in Dylan's apartment and sing the song in its entirety goes down as one of my favorite movie moments this year.

Timothee Chalamet is quite good, doing more than just an impersonation, but it's Edward Norton who threatened to steal the show for me.

Grade: A.

James Mangold's biopic of the legendary folk singer Bob Dylan ends up being a generally strong film, in large thanks to an outstanding lead performance from Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet perfectly portrays the essence of Dylan: his quirks, his folk credentials, his unlikability, and his personality. He also does a great job nailing Dylan's singing voice. The film primarily follows Dylan's rise to fame in New York City in the early-to-mid 1960s, with a particular emphasis on his controversial choice to switch from traditional guitars to electric guitars. The screenplay can be a little scattershot and freewheeling, and its dramatic tropes aren't always the most compelling, but the acting is so good (not to mention Dylan's music) that you're mostly just along to enjoy the ride. The supporting cast (including Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro) are all very impressive as well.

The film's production design and cinematography are both down-to-earth but also thoughtful in how they portray the 1960s. In particular, the film's depiction of large music festivals (such as the Newport Music Festival) is handled in an interesting way. The film is also generally well-edited. If the screenplay had a bit more focus to it and was a bit tighter, the film could have been truly great, but as is, this is still a very good and well-acted film that can be appreciated by both Dylan fans and more casual viewers. Recommended. 7.5/10.

I'd say this is one of the best movies I've seen in the past year. I'm currently reading a book about Bob Dylan, so the timing felt perfect. The film focuses on a brief but significant period in Bob's early days when he first arrived in New York to start his singing career. What I loved most is how it doesn't just tell the story but also captures his character, giving us a glimpse into who he was at the time. The singing is absolutely breathtaking-so emotional that it brought me to tears several times. A must-watch for anyone who admires Dylan or loves heartfelt storytelling. I would watch it again and again.

Complete Unknown is just okay-nothing special, and I wouldn't watch it again. Finishing it felt a bit exhausting. I think the decision to make Bob Dylan as "mysterious" as he was in real life prevents the audience from truly connecting with him. We never really see him suffer, and throughout the entire film, he just comes off as a complete jerk.

Timothée Chalamet is a great actor, but it often feels like we're watching a biography about him rather than Bob Dylan. Edward Norton, on the other hand, is always a guarantee-he's the kind of actor who could make us feel something even if he were acting as a rock.

Another issue is that Dylan's romantic relationships in the film feel confusing and underdeveloped. Was this done intentionally to reinforce the idea that Bob Dylan is mysterious? Maybe. But just because a character in the film tells him, "I don't know anything about you," doesn't mean the audience actually experiences him as a mysterious figure.

I did love the theme of musical dogmatism, and the final part of the film was great. But overall, I didn't enjoy it much-though I still recognize that it's a well-made and serious film.

This is a film of two halves. It's worth saying that the lead performances were good, Chalamet, Norton, Barbaro, Fanning - in that order. A special mention to Scoot McNairy, as Woody Guthrie, no dialogue as such, but excellent acting nevertheless.

The first half of the film was well written, with a strong narrative and emotionally involving. Chalamet really captures Dylan's voice well. The music, of course, speaks for itself.

The second half seemed to lose focus. The story arc, whilst probably true to life, seemed to meander with no message or direction - tbh, things got a bit boring.

The reason I haven't given this film a better rating, despite the excellent cast, is that there is absolutely no insight in to Dylan, his motivation, political insight, his thinking or background: it is a surprisingly shallow picture that's painted. A missed opportunity to make a powerful and relevant film.

It's a partial musical biopic of Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) from 1961 to 1965. The film opens with Dylan arriving in New York City searching for Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy). He meets Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and his wife, Toshi (Eriko Hatsune). He starts to make music under the management of Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler). Dylan also meets Sylvie Russo/Suze Rotolo (Elle Fanning) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). Later, he corresponds with Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook). Others from Dylan's developing entourage and other musicians from the era also appear in the film.

"A Complete Unknown" is a remarkable but incomplete interpretation of Bob Dylan in the first half of the 1960s. The music (it's almost a musical) deserves a 10. Everyone does a remarkable job. The relationship between Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger is the most thoroughly explored and feels right. Likewise, the relationship between Dylan and Sylvie/Suze seems real. Dylan's relationship with Joan Baez feels less clearly examined, and I dropped my rating by one point. Some documentaries do a better job on their relationship.

"A Complete Unknown" absolutely portrays Dylan as a musical genius who refuses to be boxed into expectations. I've always believed Dylan's music reflected the people around him at any particular time until he moved on, discarding relationships as he went. Thus, his early protest music reflected Seeger, Rotolo, and Baez. But Dylan's passion was his music, not someone else's politics. He's a cultural genius without his own center.

After watching the film again, I've upgraded my rating to 10 of 10. I was less concerned about the factual inconsistencies and more impressed by the film's cohesiveness in telling Dylan's story in those four short years.