Film No. 8. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. (2025). 25th Jan.

 

Film No. 5 (2025) January 25th.  10.30 AM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1,  Leederville.

"Your songs are like oil paintings at the dentists office." (Dylan describes his interpretation of Baez's music to Joan herself) "You're kind of an arsehole, Bob" (responds Baez).

 WINNER: NBR Award, 10 Best Films. (James Mangold) National Board of Review; USA (2024). NOMINEE: Best Actor (Timothee Chalamet) Oscars.

Do you have to be a Dylan devotee to appreciate A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (ACU)? Definitely not, but in my case, I thought the film was strong until it lagged around the period when he was being obnoxious, and "going electric".

But how do you make a film, summarising an artist who created 55 albums, won a Nobel peace prize and is still alive? Being Director James Mangold (WALK THE LINE) would be a good start. Then you have to find the perfect actor to pull off someone as secretive and as uniquely iconic as Dylan (likely the hardest task of all). Mangold has a gift. Focusing on Dylan's early life and first transition (electric) plus recruiting Timothee Chalamet meant he'd created the bedrock for what is becoming the most highly acclaimed film of 2024. Chalamet brings Dylan to life, as possibly, no one else could. This film would not excel, as it does, without Chalamet.

For every legend there are mentors and lovers. And so the choices by Mangold of Edward Norton as Dylan's "rock", Pete Seeger, then Elle Fanning (Sylvie) and finally, Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) as people who love him, then leave him, forms a special recipe. Here, we have an entertaining slice of history. 10GUMS.