I have a passing familiarity with the works of folk singer Bob Dylan. While his distinctive, often polarizing singing style kept me at a distance, there’s no denying his brilliance as a once-in-a-generation poet. Going into A Complete Unknown—a biopic chronicling his arrival in New York City and transition to folk-rock in the early 1960s—I had no personal investment. My only wish was for it to break free from the usual tropes of music biopics and explore the mystery that is Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed within the film’s opening moments.
Before diving into the negatives, let’s start with the positives. A Complete Unknown is undeniably entertaining. The film is brimming with Bob Dylan’s music, making it hard not to get caught up in the rhythm. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just casually familiar with his work, the sheer energy of the soundtrack pulls you in. It feels less like a traditional biopic and more like a fictionalized concert film, with musical moments dominating the runtime. In fact, there may be more songs than actual dialogue. Even those indifferent to Dylan’s style might find themselves humming along or tapping their feet as the film takes them on a nearly 2.5-hour journey of melody and movement.
Timothée Chalamet delivers an outstanding performance, fully immersing himself in the role of Bob Dylan. He captures Dylan’s mannerisms, voice, and enigmatic presence with uncanny precision. Even his singing mirrors Dylan’s distinctive style remarkably well. However, Chalamet’s performance is ultimately constrained by the superficial material he’s given to work with. The script offers little depth, reducing Dylan to a stubborn artist who resented being told what to do with his music. Despite Chalamet’s best efforts, the film fails to explore the complexities of who Dylan truly was. While his performance will undoubtedly earn him an Oscar nomination, a win would likely be viewed as undeserved in hindsight—one that will age like milk.
The core issue with A Complete Unknown is its lack of a clear identity. The film struggles to decide what it wants to be, splitting its focus between two conflicting narratives. On one hand, it attempts to examine Bob Dylan’s seismic impact on the folk music scene, seen through the eyes of figures like Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), and the backlash he faced when he blended rock into his sound, birthing the folk-rock genre. On the other hand, it aims to unravel the mystery of Dylan himself—what shaped him into a once-in-a-generation poetic genius.
This inability to fully commit to either storyline leaves the film wandering through Dylan’s early years like a disjointed greatest hits album stretched over nearly 2.5 hours. To mask this narrative indecision, the film stuffs itself with musical performances, with Timothée Chalamet delivering one Dylan song after another. While these performances are undeniably entertaining, the overreliance on them as a nostalgic smokescreen for weak storytelling becomes glaringly obvious. I commend the filmmakers for attempting to break away from the tired formula of traditional music biopics, but A Complete Unknown ultimately falls into the same trap it sought to avoid. Instead of offering a fresh take, it succumbs to familiar clichés, leaving its ambitious intentions unfulfilled.
Overall, if you’re looking for a 2.5-hour fictional concert film centered on Bob Dylan’s music, A Complete Unknown will likely hit the right notes for you. However, lifelong Dylan fans hoping for a deeper exploration of the enigmatic artist behind the music will be left disappointed. The film offers little more than an impressive impersonation of Dylan. As for Timothée Chalamet, while his performance is captivating, it doesn’t warrant Oscar buzz. Instead, he might be better off campaigning for a Grammy—for what could be considered the best impersonation covers album.
My Rating: B-
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