A Complete Unknown – Review of the Bob Dylan Biopic

'How does it feel?'

Isn’t that the question. I’m rarely lost for words, but after witnessing the spectacle of the century, A Complete Unknown, I was nothing short of awestruck. This work has been in the making since 2020, and much like the Bolognese sauce that I’m assembling alongside this review; a concoction so rich can only be achieved by leaving it to simmer for 2-3 hours … or 5-6 years in James Mangold’s case. The depth of flavour offered by this film, whilst concurrently maintaining Dylan’s trademark allusivity, is astounding. It’s one I can’t wait to recommend to the grandkids. That is both Bob Dylan’s bolstering biopic and my Bolognese.

‘If anyone’s gonna hold your attention on a stage, you have to kind of be a freak.’

Undoubtedly, for me anyway, the film was made by Chalamet. The favoured freak of myself and every other respiring man and woman on the globe, so it seems. This film was a love-at-first-listen kind of situation. I have been let down previously by the blasphemous vocals of Marisa Abela in Amy Winehouse’s ‘biopic’ Back to Black (2024), so I was apprehensive about how Lil Timmy Tim might hold up. For those of you who may be unaware of Chalamet’s musical career, I have some charming links for you. Long live YouTube and the preservation of digital footprints…

Whilst Timothée might have showcased his singing in Wonka (2023), imitating the iconic voice of a music mogul such as Bob Dylan is an entirely different game. I was apprehensive about Chalamet cleaning up Dylan’s tracks a little too much. However, his over-enthused theatre-kid diction displayed in Wonka was long forgotten two bars into hearing his rendition of Subterranean Homesick Blues. The southern gnarl and nasal husk within his voice are remarkable, not to mention his newly acquired fingerpicking guitar-playing ability. I’ve tampered with guitars from the tender age of seven and am still yet to master the level of coordination required to pluck the same string you’re pressing.

‘Make some noise, BD’

The true charm and enchantment of this film were brought by the live musical performances throughout. I have watched significantly worse feature-length live concerts. There is a certain ambience established through live music that forges an indescribable rapport between the artist and their audience, regardless of whether that audience is there in the venue or at their local VUE. This further adds to the overwhelming authenticity conveyed by the film.

‘You’re kind of an asshole, Bob’

I have always had the music of Bob Dylan reverberating through me, thanks to Mother Tracie. Although, I have never really known much about Mr. Zimmerman. Renowned for his artistry as much as his reclusive tendencies, I feel as though A Complete Unknown re-established Bob’s reluctance to reveal his character and to be publically perceived, as reinstated by the title of the film. The portrayal of Dylan’s relationships with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) only deepens the representation of Bob’s rather introverted nature. His ability to deflect interrogation whilst releasing music akin to a diary entry was quaintly displayed within the film. Similarly, Russo’s fury was struck by Bob’s reluctance to open up, which was contradicted by his ability to lips emotive lyrics whilst sitting comfortably in his underwear, equally summarising the enigma that is Robert Zimmerman and the unfathomable artistic nature of many musicians.

‘People make up their past, Sylvie! They remember what they want and forget the rest’

I have, regrettably, read a few slanderous reviews of this film, criticising its lack of plot or revelations about Bob’s early career. Though, I feel as though from the get-go, this was never advertised to be a tell-all-the-tea memoir. Rather, it’s a tasteful interpretation of Dylan’s rise to fame and the controversial refinement of his sound, which I believe it executed fabulously.

‘Songs are supposed to stand the test of time’

The most poignant aspect of this film for me, a music yapper rather than a film buff, was the tone with which Dylan’s aptitude for electrified music was relayed. I couldn’t help but inwardly grin at his stubborn, generally cunt-ish, approach to being, initially rather politely, asked to play folk music at a folk music festival. The deepening of Chalamet’s smirk as debris hurtled towards the stage in response to the toe-tapping jangle of Dylan’s new sound was goosebump-inducing. Ça me donne les frissions, as Chalamet may say.

‘As the present now will later be past’

Today, artists are expected to diversify their sound from release to release, but I feel as though the reception of Bob’s incorporation of a more electrified sound demonstrates the regiment within the music industry that he faced and the reluctance for sounds to defy traditional genre definition. Dylan took a monumental leap, one which may have only been braved by such a self-assured and, respectfully, arrogant character. Bob began to shift the industry towards not only allowing but expecting sonic diversification within genres, and music that can skim several styles in a single song. The man unarguably made industry-defining music, which has now been gracefully honoured by Mangold’s tasteful biopic.

‘You can be beautiful or you can be ugly, but you can’t be plain’

My main takeaway from this film is that Chalamet deserves that bloody Oscar, with a shoutout to the film’s Best Supporting Actor, the humble cigarette. To put it simply, and to quote Tracie, I didn’t think of Wonka once. Timmy’s performance, both as an actor and a live musician, has set the benchmark for all future biopics. If anything, my only complaint is that he made Bob Dylan too attractive, because why am I now in love with a musician that rose to fame whilst my Granny was in nappies?

I sincerely hope that the success of this film will not only spark a resurrgence of Dylan's discography, but folk and acoustic music in general. The raw and unadolterated authenticity of an acoustic track can't be compared to more modern, heavily computerised genres. The only thing that could tangibly top A Complete Unknown would be a Lil Timmy Tim tour … A girl can dream.