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You don’t have to be a fan of Bob Dylan’s music to know his most popular songs—or his distinctive voice. Through the years, his work has gone through a number of changes. And the biopic A Complete Unknown explores the legendary singer/songwriter’s early years and a major change in his style.
A Complete Unknown follows a young Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) as he arrives in New York City in 1961 on a quest to visit ailing folk legend Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) in the hospital. There, he meets Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), who brings him into the folk music community. Influenced by relationships with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and artist and activist Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), Bob writes the songs that make him famous. But as he grows and changes, his writing does, too—and he begins moving away from the people who made him who he is.
As major events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of President Kennedy play out on the TV in Bob’s apartment, he never seems to stop working—and he’s inspired to write some of the most iconic songs of the time. The film explores the early days of the young singer/songwriter’s career: his relationships, his influences, his rise to fame, and the unwelcome attention and expectations and pressures that come with it. And, as it does so, it blends in so many different elements—from the political climate to the state of the music industry to the energy of New York City in the ‘60s—to add color and texture to the story of this music legend.
But, of course, it’s not just the music that stands out here (though there is a whole lot of it). There’s just something so mesmerizing about this character—something that everyone from audiences to folk legends to record executives can’t help but notice. And Timothée Chalamet perfectly embodies that strangely magnetic persona—the fascinating awkwardness of this unlikely star, who became the reluctant face of folk music...at least for a while. He’s quiet and moody and not entirely likable—a blunt and rather prickly kind of guy who refuses to do what he’s told, who chooses his own path, and who doesn’t care if anyone likes the result.
Whether you’re a fan of Bob Dylan or folk music or just a fan of Timothée Chalamet, you’ll be captivated by this story of the music icon’s early days—and the factors that shaped his career. A Complete Unknown is a film that’s as lyrical in its style, its settings, and its performances as it is in its well-known soundtrack.
You can meet Bob on the streets of New York City when A Complete Unknown comes to theaters on December 25, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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