A Complete Unknown review – Timothée Chalamet radiates charisma in evocative Dylan biopic
James Mangold’s handsome portrait of the enigmatic singer’s stratospheric early career boasts a barnstorming lead performance yet often slips into heavy-handedness
It’s a remarkable performance. Star of the moment Timothée Chalamet inhabits the loose-limbed, live-wire physicality of the young Bob Dylan and makes an impressively good fist of capturing the frayed hessian of his distinctive voice. Acoustic guitars are plucked and harmonicas honked with the effortless fluency of someone who learned to play almost before they could walk. Chalamet’s Dylan sucks so fervently on his cigarettes it’s as though he’s breathing in the genius of the musical heroes who came before him. But while he radiates insouciant charisma and channels the once-in-a-lifetime talent, he reveals next to nothing about Dylan as a person. This is not necessarily a failure in Chalamet’s acting. It’s a deliberate choice – the film is called A Complete Unknown, after all, and it’s a manifesto as much as a title. But it does mean that this is more a movie about Dylan the phenomenon than Dylan the man; a picture that peers at the folk legend through the distorting lens of fame and fan worship.
As such, there’s a curious kinship between this handsome if formulaic period piece by music movie veteran James Mangold (he also directed the Johnny Cash portrait Walk the Line) and Michael Gracey’s recent Robbie Williams-as-monkey biopic, Better Man. Gracey’s film and A Complete Unknown both explore the impact of sudden and stratospheric celebrity on very young artists. Like Williams, Dylan is shown as a fully formed talent but a half-grown man. But while Williams mainlines fame like a drug and then bares his damaged soul to all, Dylan builds barricades against the encroaching tide of celebrity and protects himself with layers of assumed identities – an idea previously explored by Todd Haynes’s formally daring but frequently infuriating 2007 Dylan film I’m Not There. The sunglasses, the Triumph motorbike, the studied disinterest, the sneer – it’s all, A Complete Unknown suggests, part of the wall that Dylan constructs to protect the vulnerable part of himself, if indeed it exists.
Continue reading...
Read more at The Guardian
-
Bob Dylan’s drafts for Mr Tambourine Man sell for more than £400,000
Notes among 60 items associated with the singer auctioned off in Nashville. Bob Dylan’s typewritten drafts for his 1965 song Mr Tambourine Man sold for more than £400,000 at auction on Saturday.. ...The Guardian - 12h -
Bob Dylan Joins TikTok in What May Be Its Final Days
Dylan seemed to be in on the joke, posting an old black and white clip of himself saying “Good God, I must leave right away.”The New York Times - 1d -
Bob Dylan's draft lyrics for Mr Tambourine Man sell for $500k
The two yellow sheets of paper contain three drafts of the 1965 hit with handwritten notes in the margins.BBC News - 5h -
Actor Timothée Chalamet continues world tour of sports, meets Roma star Paulo Dybala after Serie A win
The star of 'A Complete Unknown' was in attendance for Roma's win over Genoa in ItalyCBS Sports - 15h -
Napoli's Kvaratskhelia completes PSG transfer
Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Napoli's star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.ESPN - 1d -
NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On J.T. Miller, Dylan Cozens And Brock Nelson
The intrigue about Canucks centers J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson continues, while the Sabres' Dylan Cozens and Islanders' Brock Nelson remain in the rumor mill.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Timothée Chalamet’s red-carpet ride adds to Lime bikes’ fashion credentials
Actor’s premiere entry shows how the electric rental bikes have shifted gear from everyday commuter transport. Wobbling along on a scuffed-up, muddy Lime bike is a journey that is increasingly ...The Guardian - 1d -
No Dylan but loads of Coldplay! What the songs with a billion streams on Spotify tell us about music taste today
Spotify’s Billions Club tracks the world’s most popular songs, but dozens of greats are nowhere to be found. From TikTok to TV soundtracks, we explore the forces shaping pop’s new canon. In 2011, ...The Guardian - 2d -
‘A ton of unknowns’: months ago, LA residents lost wildfire insurance. Then the fires came
After insurers like State Farm dropped policies, to switch to the state’s Fair plan was prohibitively pricey for many. When James Borow realized last Tuesday that his Palisades house was on fire, ...The Guardian - 2d -
Netanyahu to comment on Gaza ceasefire once deal completed
Yahoo News - 3d -
A ceasefire deal is here. For Gaza, the Middle East and the world, the future remains unknown
The sacrifice has been so great, the misery so complete, that few can claim with certainty that this was all worthwhile. There may be no winners in war, but history suggests combatants are often ...The Guardian - 3d -
Path Of Exile 2: How To Complete The Trial Of Sekhemas
Despite Path of Exile 2 featuring dozens of challenging bosses and plenty of tough levels to navigate through, the Trial of Sekhemas is arguably the most difficult part of the game. The trial's ...GameSpot - 3d -
‘I’m literally Joan Baez right now’: gen Z women relate to Bob Dylan’s toxic situationship
The film A Complete Unknown has sparked interest in the folk singers’ doomed romance, and with it the realization that a similar dynamic is ‘happening to girls everywhere’. Lynda Saldana saw A ...The Guardian - 3d -
Austrian woman kidnapped by unknown assailants in Niger
Yahoo News - 6d -
Healthcare executives weigh policy unknowns at San Francisco gathering
JPMorgan event follows the murder of an industry leader and the nomination of a vaccine sceptic as top officialFinancial Times - 6d -
‘What’s going on in Bob Dylan’s head’: Mr Tambourine Man lyrics up for auction
Rare drafts of one of Dylan’s best known songs found in journalist’s archive could fetch up to $1 million as part of wider legacy sale. In March 1964, the rock journalist Al Aronowitz awoke to ...The Guardian - Jan. 12 -
Biden Officials Say the Truth About Havana Syndrome Is Still Unknown
The White House contradicts a new intelligence assessment on the mysterious ailments that diplomats and spies have reported for years.The New York Times - Jan. 10 -
Bob Dylan Is Having a Hollywood Moment. His No. 1 Hater Is Ready.
A.J. Weberman sifted through the prophetic singer’s trash in search of meaning. He turned on him as a sellout and has spent decades trying to reclaim him for the counterculture.The New York Times - Jan. 10 -
Niners complete interview with a familiar face for their defensive coordinator position
San Francisco just dumped its second DC in less than a yearCBS Sports - Jan. 9 -
Star Trek: Lower Decks Complete Series Steelbook Preorder Is Only $53
Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Complete Series (Blu-ray Steelbook) $53 ($59) | Releases March ...GameSpot - Jan. 8 -
Cassidy doesn’t seem completely on board with RFK Jr
Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Cassidy doesn’t seem completely on board with RFK Jr Senate Health Committee chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ...The Hill - Jan. 8 -
Complete list of Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees
“Wicked” is the leading nominee for the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards, with the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” following closely behindABC News - Jan. 8 -
Jets complete head-coaching interview with Rex Ryan
The Jets have concluded their interview with Rex Ryan to be the team's next head coach.Yahoo Sports - Jan. 7 -
In Roob's Eagles Stats: Completely bonkers Tanner McKee numbers
In the final rendition of Roob's Stats for the regular season: wild Tanner McKee numbers, historic milestones by the 2024 defense and a rare feat accomplished by three Eagles rookies.Yahoo Sports - Jan. 7 -
First phase of Toyota's experimental Woven City in Japan completed
Yahoo News - Jan. 7 -
Firm completes 'really interesting' zoo project
Yahoo News - Jan. 6 -
Chalamet snubbed, Demi Moore hailed: the key film Golden Globes shocks and surprises
Adrien Brody’s speech was a convincing Oscar audition, Moore emerged as a serious contender for The Substance – and the awards as a whole emerged reborn • The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez triumph ...The Guardian - Jan. 6 -
Golden Globes 2025 winners: Complete list
Hollywood's "party of the year" returned Sunday with the 82nd Golden Globes. Here's a full list of the winners.NBC News - Jan. 6 -
Tottenham complete signing of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky for £12.5m
Czech 21-year-old from Slavia Prague signs deal up to 2031 Spurs bolster squad with Vicario and Forster sidelined Tottenham have completed their first signing of the January transfer window with ...The Guardian - Jan. 5 -
At 19, Tom Holland beat 1,500 actors for 'Spider-Man' role: He had 'the charisma, the confidence, the energy,' director says
The actor used his athleticism to help land the role of the acrobatic wall crawler.CNBC - Jan. 4 -
Embracing X and a turn by Timothée Chalamet: how Bob Dylan is capturing gen Z
As Chalamet plays the singer in the acclaimed biopic A Complete Unknown , the man himself has taken, at 83, to posting on X. In 1965, Bob Dylan was the most fashionable musician in the world. Over ...The Guardian - Jan. 4 -
Jets complete interview with Ron Rivera for head coaching job
The former Commanders and Panthers head coach is the first to interview for the Jets' head coaching job.Yahoo Sports - Jan. 3 -
How will 'A Complete Unknown' stack up against Timothée Chalamet's biggest hits?
Timothée Chalamet already has one big box-office hit under his belt for this year — 'Dune: Part Two.' How will 'A Complete Unknown' compare?Los Angeles Times - Jan. 2 -
What Bob Dylan Experts Think of “A Complete Unknown”
The writer Lucy Sante and the podcast host Ian Grant, both Bob Dylan experts, dissect the director James Mangold’s biopic starring Timothée Chalamet.The New York Times - Jan. 2 -
It's time to reset your finances for 2025's knowns and unknowns
2025 could bring economic changes with the potential to hit millions of people’s wallets in different ways.NBC News - Jan. 1
More from The Guardian
-
Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into force following delay over release of hostage list – live
Hamas says it will free Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher after Israel delayed start of ceasefire until named released. Full story: Gaza ceasefire begins after delay and Israeli ...The Guardian - 21m -
Gaza ceasefire finally begins after three hours of delay and Israeli strikes
Truce in effect as Hamas names hostages to be freed: Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Israel-Gaza war – live updates How will the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal ...The Guardian - 1h -
‘Finally it’s happening. I know he’s still alive’: Families of Israeli hostages await nervously the return of their loved ones
The fate of captives held by Hamas is in the balance until they are finally swapped for Palestinian prisoners. For over a decade the world seemed to have forgotten Avera Mengistu.. An Israeli Jew ...The Guardian - 16h -
The inside story of how an unlikely alliance of Trump and Biden led to historic Gaza ceasefire deal
The two presidential camps worked together to bring about the talks that led to the pause in the conflict. It was a subtle, but significant flex of power by Donald Trump’s new envoy to the Middle ...The Guardian - 15h -
How will the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal work?
Many details of the three-phase agreement between Israel and Hamas remain hazy and a difficult path lies ahead. Israel-Gaza war – latest updates A ceasefire in the war in Gaza and a hostage ...The Guardian - 51m
More in World
-
Live Updates: Gaza Cease-Fire Goes Into Effect, Israel Says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the agreement had taken effect on Sunday morning after a brief delay, as Hamas named the first three hostages to be released.The New York Times - 13m -
Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into force following delay over release of hostage list – live
Hamas says it will free Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher after Israel delayed start of ceasefire until named released. Full story: Gaza ceasefire begins after delay and Israeli ...The Guardian - 21m -
Joe Biden had one job. And he failed | Mehdi Hasan
The president was supposed to defeat Donald Trump and end the threat he posed to our democracy. Yet, here we are. “You had one job.”. As we bid farewell to the 46th president of the United States, ...The Guardian - 29m -
Joe Biden had one job. And he failed | Mehdi Hasan
The president was supposed to defeat Donald Trump and end the threat he posed to our democracy. Yet, here we are. “You had one job.”. As we bid farewell to the 46th president of the United States, ...The Guardian - 29m -
Lights, camera, concrete! How Hollywood is playing a part in brutalism’s redemption
Oscar-tipped film The Brutalist is the latest stage in the cultural rehabilitation of what was once architecture’s most reviled style but is now winning a new generation of admirers. This week an ...The Guardian - 29m