A Complete Unknown review by Bobby Blakey
Director James Mangold has some great flicks in his filmography including Cop Land, The Wolverine, Logan and more recently Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Back in 2005 he took on the biopic of Johnny Cash with Walk the Line and now heading back into that genre with his latest film A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie. Could this film do the legacy of Dylan justice, or will it fail to hit the right note?
A Complete Unknown follows an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota who arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music in New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval he forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.
I must admit as much as I respect Dylan’s legacy and recognize his importance in music history, I have never been a big fan. The same goes for Chalamet who I think is a great actor but only really connected with a few of his performances. That being said I was pleasantly surprised to how great this film is all around. There is a simple nuance about this film that makes it work so well, and I was so happy I gave it a chance.
The story is well crafted to take us on a journey of discovery and talent as we witness the always unique voice of Bob Dylan weave its way through the
industry. To this day he is like no other and seeing Chalamet do such a great job with the music, mannerisms and everything in between bringing Dylan to life is impressive. He continues to showcase his varied skills in the industry and why he is such a sought-after young talent. He embodies Dylan on every level and really elevates the film to where it needed to be.
The rest of the cast are great as well with Edward Norton bringing his sweet and passionate voice to Pete Seeger. He serves as not only the initial doorway to Dylan, but his ongoing voice of reason and serves up some powerful moments to perfection. It was interesting to see McNairy taking on the role of Woody Guthrie who doesn’t speak a line of dialogue and is mostly bedridden throughout the film. He is forced to say so much with just his eyes and body language and everything shines through brilliantly.
While I am not a sudden Dylan fan convert from the influx of his music through this compelling story, I still loved the film. It serves as a good notch in Dylan’s legacy that doesn’t shy away from the problems and embraces the struggles and the art of his legendary voice.
In addition to the film, this release offers bonus content including commentary, featurettes and more. Grab your copy of A Complete Unknown available now on digital and then on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on April 1st from Searchlight Pictures.