A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown (2024) – This is one of those rare movies where the individual performances were spectacular, but the overall move was “just” good, not amazing. I think my husband described it perfectly: It’s like a Bob Dylan greatest hits album with a few re-enacted moments from his life sprinkled in. Please do not misunderstand me, Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Dylan – including singing his own Dylan vocals, along with playing guitar and harmonica – was utterly stunning! I never thought someone that “pretty” could physically disappear into Bob Dylan like that, but somehow he managed. (I’m also curious how much weight he had to gain to hide those cheekbones!) A true testament to his talent!
The tile of this movie – A Complete Unknown – is perfection, because if you know anything at all about Bob Dylan going in, then you really don’t know much more about Dylan by the end of the movie than you did when it started. I also didn’t realize that he had written so many of the songs that I am only familiar with being sung by other artists. I’ve never been a big fan of Bob Dylan; his music is intriguing, but frankly, I don’t enjoy listening to him. As someone with some formal training, his style of singing really grates on my nerves! But the songs themselves are fascinating, from some unusual chord progressions to some truly intricate and eloquent lyrics. I have sincere appreciation for his talent, even if his vocal style doesn’t appeal to me personally.
But as amazing as he is, Timothée Chalamet alone cannot make this movie what it is. The real heart of the film comes from the supporting performances. Each and every one is magnificent! But it’s going to be hard to beat Edward Norton, particularly come Oscar time. (That is often the case with him, isn’t it?) As in, my husband almost didn’t realize it was him when the film started. He is truly the beating heart of the film, more so even than the two ladies who feature in this segment of his life, though their performances were excellent as well. But Norton’s portrayal of Pete Seeger serving as a complete foil to Chalamet’s Dylan really encapsulated the greater friction between the old and new that was happening in that era.
I also have to give a special shout out to the actor portraying Johnny Cash. First off, SPOT ON! And yes, he did his own singing. Secondly, even after watching the entire movie, I still cannot make that be Boyd Holbrook. I thought at first that there were some prosthetics going on, but looking again at the pictures, I don’t think so. But seriously, I would never ever have recognized him, and I’ve seen him in quite a few things, including Narcos. It really is amazing what hair and makeup and costumes can do. There were hints of Holbrook in some of the mannerisms and facial movements, but mostly, it was all Cash.
Like I said, the overall movie was good but not great. But if you value great performances, even if they don’t sum up to become greater than the individual pieces, then this movie is worth catching.
