HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – A complete unknown Starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and although the story follows the rock star biopic formula closely, Chalamet’s performance highlights the clichéd plot structure.

Director: James Mangold, A complete unknown traces Bob Dylan’s career from his arrival in Greenwich Village to his discovery of the sound that made him famous. Based on the book, Dylan goes electricDylan clashes with folk music icons Pete Seeger (Ed Norton) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), while Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) encourages him to follow his artistic impulses. Elle Fanning plays Sylvie Russo, a made-up character name for Dylan’s real-life partner at the time, Suze Rotolo.

This time last year I criticized Chalamet’s singing Wonka (2023), but it turns out that Chalamet can sing quite well – but only when he’s singing a rendition of Bob Dylan. Chalamet copes well with the musical elements of A completely unknown, including playing the guitar and recording Dylan’s unique vocals. Given how good the music is, it’s a wonder how often the film cuts songs, especially “Like a Rolling Stone” at the film’s climax.

At the core is A complete unknown is a Dylan biopic, and in that sense it is only half successful. Todd Haynes made I’m not there (2007), and that was an attempt to capture the spirit of Bob Dylan. Several actors, including Cate Blanchett, played Dylan in a biopic that portrayed Dylan as an enigmatic figure whose identity is constantly changing. In interviews, Dylan frequently lies about his past, so Bob Dylan’s identity cannot be clearly determined I’m not there.

However, the structure of A complete unknown is similar to any other rock biopic, including Mangold’s own Walk along the line (2005). The problem is that Dylan’s changing identity evades any attempts to understand him in the typical sense. He doesn’t fit into the structure the film tries to fit him into.

The result is a film that is at odds with itself. Allegedly A complete unknown It’s about understanding someone who eludes understanding, and because of this central impossibility, the film becomes more about everyone around Dylan than it succeeds in understanding Dylan. I wouldn’t put up with such a failure in a biography of anyone other than Bob Dylan.

The one person A complete unknown treated badly is Joan Baez. While Barbaro Baez gives a stunning, beautiful vocal performance, the plot portrays her as someone who didn’t have much to offer until Bob Dylan came along, and that at least is a controversial view.

Ultimately, A complete unknown succeeds because Chalamet delivers a fantastic performance and his subject matter is inherently interesting. Although I’m not there is probably the better of the two Dylan biopics, A complete unknown is all the more accessible – even if Dylan himself remains mysterious.

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