Director James Mangold is no stranger to biopics. By directing Johnny Cash’s life story in “Walk the Line” and Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles’ stories in “Ford v Ferrari,” Mangold has shown his skills at adapting true stories. However, perhaps neither of these films compare to Mangold’s newest biopic following Bob Dylan, “A Complete Unknown.”
The film depicts Dylan throughout his rise to fame in the 1960s, showing everything from his first record label with manager Albert Grossman to his historically divisive performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
When it comes to biopics solely centered around one character, the film is only as good as its lead actor. Luckily, “A Complete Unknown” has a sensational one.
Timothée Chalamet is absolutely uncannily similar to Dylan, completely embodying the singer’s nasally voice and iconic hair-and-sunglasses look. Chalamet also sings incredibly well, capturing the poetic nature of Dylan’s performances on stage and in the studio.
Alongside Chalamet’s knockout performance, another actor stands out. Edward Norton’s portrayal of folk singer Peter Seeger is all about subtlety, with Norton being soft-spoken and heartfelt, directly contrasting Dylan’s chaotic lifestyle. With both already having been nominated for Golden Globe awards, Chalamet and Norton will undoubtedly be on voters’ radars come Oscar season.
In terms of the film itself, it is one of the most consistently solid screenplays of the year. Aside from a somewhat slower second act, there isn’t ever much of a low point despite a lengthy runtime of 140 minutes.
If there is one critique of the film, it’s that it doesn’t ever take any risks. Despite Mangold delivering impressive and high-quality filmmaking all the way through, he avoids any sense of style or flare. Sometimes that can be a good thing, like when a story has enough personality to make up for a lack of it behind the camera. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here, as even though it is phenomenally written, the film very much feels like a Wikipedia page turned into a script.
Aside from feeling a little bit vanilla, the film doesn’t lack personality entirely, especially from the music stars that it features. Outside of Dylan, the standout is Johnny Cash, played brilliantly by Boyd Holbrook. Holbrook not only captures the macho energy of Cash but, similarly to Chalamet with Dylan, also the iconic singing voice. Other singers featured in the film include Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and Dylan’s best friend Bob Neuwirth.
Despite being strong throughout the entire runtime, the film is at its best when these singers are playing their famous music. Few musical movies have had the ability to let the music they follow guide the film themselves, but “A Complete Unknown” does. As Dylan’s music changes, so do his personality and his relationships, and thus the dynamic of the film altogether. This level of synchronicity between music and film is rare, but Mangold captures it beautifully.
Overall, despite not taking any risks and feeling a tad familiar, “A Complete Unknown” never wavers in consistent quality. It’s an excellent love letter to the legendary Dylan and, with artists like Cash and Guthrie, the 1960s music scene as a whole.
