Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Eriko Hatsune, Big Bill Morganfield, Will Harrison, and Scoot McNairy
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Director: James Mangold
In Irish Cinemas: 17th January 2025
One of the first scenes filmed for A Complete Unknown occurs in a hospital, where legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie (portrayed by Scoot McNairy) recuperates from a debilitating illness. This profoundly moving moment is one of the film’s emotional cores, capturing the symbolic passing of the “folksinger torch” from Guthrie to Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. In this pivotal sequence, Timothée Chalamet, as a young Dylan, performs “Song to Woody,” one of Dylan’s earliest compositions—a heartfelt homage to Guthrie. Reflecting on that day of filming, Chalamet recalls going home and breaking down in tears. “It’s a song I’ve carried with me for so long,” he says, “and I felt like we truly brought it to life.” Chalamet’s portrayal captures not only Dylan’s personality but also his musical essence, allowing the actor to inhabit the role in a way that feels authentic and deeply resonant. This depth of performance enables director James Mangold to explore Dylan’s artistic evolution through the power of music itself.
The film offers a vivid and layered portrayal of Dylan’s formative years in New York City. Beginning in 1962, when the aspiring musician arrived in the city with little more than his guitar and a dream of making his mark in the folk music scene, the story unfolds chronologically. Viewers follow Dylan’s journey from playing in small clubs to becoming a trailblazing artist capable of defining his creative path. The narrative builds toward his iconic and controversial performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, where he broke with folk tradition in a bold, electrified moment that redefined his career and legacy. By tracing Dylan’s early years step by step, the film invites audiences to connect deeply with his music’s struggles, triumphs, and transformative power.
Recreating the New York City of Bob Dylan’s early years was an ambitious undertaking for production designer François Audouy and costume designer Arianne Phillips, as much of that world no longer exists. While locations like Greenwich Village remain geographically the same, their character and atmosphere have transformed significantly over time. The goal for Audouy and Phillips was not to replicate the past with exact precision but to evoke its essence—to capture the era’s mood, texture, and spirit. The delays caused by the pandemic allowed the creative team ample time for in-depth research, enabling them to design environments and fashions that felt authentic to Dylan’s formative years.
Timothée Chalamet, who portrays Dylan, also used the pandemic-induced hiatus to immerse himself in the role. Over time, he became a devoted Dylan aficionado, dedicating himself to understanding the artist’s history and music. Chalamet hired a team of coaches, including a vocal coach, a guitar instructor, a movement specialist, and a harmonica teacher, to hone his portrayal. To deepen his connection to the character, he surrounded himself with Dylan’s lyrics, handwriting them and pinning them to his walls as a form of study and inspiration.
Chalamet’s commitment extended to physically retracing Dylan’s early life. He travelled to Minnesota to visit the singer’s childhood home, where Dylan had lived with his family from age six until eighteen. Chalamet explored the records Dylan had collected as a teenager and visited the high school where a young Dylan once performed with his band. He even discovered Dylan’s drawing of Woody Guthrie, one of his earliest musical idols. Reflecting on the experience, Chalamet said, “You’re connected to destiny. But that connection is fragile.”
Through this intense preparation, Chalamet jokingly described his process as creating “Chalamet University,” with himself as the sole student and Bob Dylan as his major. This holistic, immersive approach underscored his dedication to capturing the spirit of an artist whose influence has spanned generations.
Like many iconic stars, Bob Dylan was known for being headstrong and fiercely independent. Timothée Chalamet captures this aspect of Dylan’s personality with remarkable nuance, portraying his stubborn determination without passing judgment. Chalamet conveys just the right blend of self-assured confidence and restless energy, embodying the mindset of a young, budding folk artist daring to present his unconventional style to an audience that might respond with scepticism or even disdain.
Chalamet’s connection to music shines throughout the film. Remarkably, he sings and performs all the songs live on set, adding an authentic depth to his portrayal. His musical roots trace back to his youth as a rap and hip-hop enthusiast, even performing under the “Lil’ Timmy Tim” moniker on YouTube. His dedication to his craft is also evident in his previous work; for Call Me By Your Name (2017), he spent months mastering the piano to play classical compositions convincingly. Here, Chalamet brings his vivid imagination and transformative acting to see Dylan not as a distant historical figure but as a vibrant, living presence.
Equally captivating is Edward Norton, who is perfectly cast as Pete Seeger, Dylan’s mentor during his early days in New York. Norton’s performance is a vital counterpart to Chalamet’s, grounding the film with Seeger’s wisdom and influence. Norton undertook an intensive transformation to prepare, meticulously studying archival footage and recordings to master Seeger’s mannerisms and style. Despite not playing the guitar in years, Norton pushed himself to learn and perform Seeger’s songs live, capturing his spirit with uncanny precision. His portrayal seamlessly embodies the legendary folk icon, adding depth and authenticity to the film. Together, Chalamet and Norton deliver compelling performances that anchor the story, bringing its characters and their life music.
Norton even mastered Seeger’s distinct speaking patterns. The contrast between Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan is a crucial lens through which Dylan’s evolving style can be understood. Seeger had a warm, gentle, yet steadfast way of inspiring his audience to participate, fostering a communal experience that we might liken today to an impromptu “flash mob.” It was a collective moment of unity, almost like a secular church service, where harmony was created with the audience serving as an instrument. Dylan, in contrast, became the anti-Seeger—a singer whose voice was raw and unpolished, delivering provocative and often divisive messages designed to provoke thought rather than unity.
Elle Fanning portrays “Sylvie Russo,” a fictionalised version of Dylan’s real-life girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Dylan once described Rotolo as “the could-be dream lover of my lifetime,” a sentiment that underscores the emotional depth of their relationship and its influence on his early work.
This film stands out as one of our time’s more nuanced and compelling musical biopics. Its strength lies in the graceful and honest storytelling, interwoven seamlessly with music. Director James Mangold’s exceptional vision is matched by Timothée Chalamet’s transformative performance as Dylan.
Overall: 8/10