A Complete Unknown

~ Bitchy After 60

I have never been a Bob Dylan fan. I could never really warm up to his voice, which was much too nasal sounding for my liking, His songs, however were works of art and of history in the making. I just preferred them being sung by other people. But what do I know anyway. The man is a legend who helped change the course of modern music during the sixties.  

My opinion of Bob Dylan’s voice aside, I still couldn’t wait to see A Complete Unknown. The trailers and the actors playing all the pivotal characters reflected strongly as to the quality of the production. I finally got to see it with my friend Cathy on Monday afternoon, and it did not disappoint. I was taken back to my mother’s record collection, which included Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash. My childhood was filled with all their music, and this is where the movie began. A young Bob Dylan making his way to the hospital to play a song he wrote for Woody Guthrie. Then Pete Seeger taking the youth under his wing to help him get his start. The story moves quickly. As quick as we imagine Bob Dylan’s rise to popularity happened.

Timothée Chalamet was Oscar-worthy as Dylon. Although much better looking, he nailed the singer’s moodiness and off-putting behavior. I didn’t really like the man he portrayed, but that was the point. Wasn’t it? When someone called Dylan an asshole in the movie, I had to agree. Chalamet played the guitar and sang all the songs himself, and I actually liked his versions better than Dylan’s. Of course we know that this says more about me than Bob Dylan. 

Joan Baez was played by Monica Barbaro, who also played guitar and sang all her own songs. What can I say, she was beautiful, talented and exceptional. Edward Norton made you believe that Pete Seeger was actually on screen. Elle Fanning played Sylvie Russo, who, according to the movie, was Bob’s first serious girlfriend. Fanning’s acting talents cannot be understated. She was impressive. I felt strong empathy for her character.

After fact checking certain things about the film because, as everyone knows, Bob Dylan tends to be an enigma. I still feel like I witnessed something inspiring. I felt like I had attended a series of live performances and, over and over again, when each one of them ended, I had to restrain my hands and remind myself to not applaud because I was actually in a movie theatre not a concert venue. Boy did I want to applaud. You certainly don’t have to be a Bob Dylan fan to like this movie.

Thank you for reading

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18 thoughts on “A Complete Unknown”

  1. I have to say that, despite my age (around the same as you), I really didn’t particularly listen to music until 1970 when I was 13 and allowed to buy my first record (Woodstock by Matthews Southern Comfort). I do remember things like ‘Downtown’ and some funny songs with a ukulele and funny lyrics but that’s about it. Richard is a bit older than me (about 2 years) but he’s really into 50s and 60s music which I consider well before my time!

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  7. My thoughts echo yours when it comes to Dylan’s music. I never understood the attraction. I have yet to see the movie, but I plan to. Several of my friends told me how much they enjoyed it.

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  8. At first I thought no way would I go see a movie about Dylan, not really a fan of his, BUT so many people have said the movie was interesting so I’ll add it to my list for when it goes into streaming. Thanks for the review.

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