A Complete Unknown

⭐ 8/10

This was a fun watch! I don't have a huge connection to Bob Dylan, but I was shocked how much music is in this movie, and its always fun to hear songs you recognize and like. Chalamet did a great job, really impressed with how much singing and guitar and harmonica he does. I thought Monica Barbaro completely stole the show as Joan Baez. She sounds amazing, and its nice to have characters who don't idolize the man the movie is trying to idolize.

In terms of story, I liked all the montage-y stuff when time passes and you hear more songs and see him get famous.  What I don't love is the recording studio moments where they stumble into something iconic - its super cheesy. I also lost interest in the last 40 minutes of the movie as he makes the brave choice to go electric.  I get it was a big deal, and I respect that they are probably pretty accurate in the retelling, its just boring and doesn't feel as monumental as it probably was.

He's going through an identity crisis all movie, but his introspection is verbalized in a way nobody would actually say, even artists. For instance, he's in an elevator after a party where they make him play music, and he says to no one in particular, "everyone just wants me to be something I'm not!". And then a stranger in the elevator is like, "well, who do you want to be". Turns out that guy is also an artist, and becomes part of the band he goes electric with! Corny line, and convenient character introduction.

A pretty down-the-middle biopic that doesn't paint him as a saint, but also shows him as a genius artist, which is always captivating. Great performances, great music, would recommend!