A COMPLETE UNKNOWN: The Times Have Changed

By Harrison J.Bahe

New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.

I guess if there’s two things that James Mangold can do right, it’s Wolverine movies and biopics. After the incredibly disappointing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mangold went back to do what he does best: the biopic. Walk the Line, which chronicled the amazing life of Johnny Cash, is still lauded as a wonderful film. A Complete Unknown joins the ranks as one of the most fascinating biopic films to come out in some time. Timothee Chalamet disappears into the role of Bob Dylan. Comparing photos of Dylan at the time to Chalamet in the film, the two are nearly identical. Now, I am a very casual fan of Bob Dylan. In fact, I believe my first exposure to him was through the opening credits song of Watchmen which played The Times They Are A-Changing. So, I wouldn’t really consider myself an expert on all things Bob Dylan but I do love his music. Chalamet effortlessly channels every major expression and minor tick of Dylan from his mannerisms to his singing voice. He delivers quite a profound performance of a young man who wanted nothing more than to create and share his art. The price of fame is a terribly awesome thing to pay and Chalamet encapsulates that struggle of any artist perfectly.

One thing that always permeates any biopic about musicians is their inevitable struggle with substance abuse. It’s so inevitably apparent that an entire film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, filled its running time with wall-to-wall jokes on the tiresome tropes and cliches of the biopic. A Complete Unknown bypasses a lot of that and focuses on the struggling artist competing with his own desire to make art versus what his manager and his fans want from him. That was a welcome change from the typical biopic. While Dylan partook in many substances during this time, it wasn’t the driving force behind his character.

A Complete Unknown is another fine addition to the collection of musician biopics. James Mangold crafts an intriguing story of an artist who simply wants to share his talents with the world while struggling with the expectations of what he should be versus who he really wants to be. Taking place in a tumultuous time of aggressive change, political movements, and the start of a musical revolution, the film brings the era to life in vivid grittiness. Timothee Chalamet completely transforms into Bob Dylan and is surely to draw some major attention come award season which is why I give A Complete Unknown—

4 Guitars out of 5

A Complete Unknown is Rated R for language. It is currently playing in theaters nationwide.