Review: ‘A Complete Unknown’ Shines Brightest in Its Mesmerizing Musical Moments

They say never meet your heroes, and portraying them on screen can be just as risky an effort. But A Complete Unknown, a biopic of the life of Bob Dylan that spans the years 1961 to 1965, largely succeeds thanks to its invigorating live music performances spaced plentifully throughout its nearly two-and-half-hour runtime. Curiously and informatively, this spotlight of a young Dylan also features a number of his musical contemporaries, and begins with the arrival of the future star in New York City to meet one of his idols, Woody Guthrie.

As soon as Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) turns his head to look around him and contemplate what might come next, with surely no idea of the explosive popularity and fame that will follow, it’s clear that this film will be an immersion into this particular time period with Chalamet as its deeply focused and committed lead. After meeting Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) in a bare hospital room, Dylan becomes close with Guthrie’s friend Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) as he comes into his own, partnering on stage with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and navigating a romantic relationship with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning).

This film has been in development for several years and arrives as one of this year’s last major releases. It turns out that it’s been worth the wait, since all of its parts gel together to create an involving and heartening experience. Chalamet’s transformation into Dylan is surely the most buzzworthy aspect of the film, and he doesn’t disappoint. Like everything else in the film, it’s at its most potent and formidable when the actors are singing and audiences may forget that they’re sitting in a theater and not watching the legends perform but instead actors in a film reenact those key moments that have been molded into the cultural zeitgeist and preserved in collective memory since then.

While Chalamet has been a reliable cinematic presence for nearly a decade and delivers a remarkably seasoned performance for someone still not yet thirty years old, the true breakout of this film is Barbaro. A veteran of a handful of short-lived TV series and a standout member of the ensemble of Top Gun: Maverick, Barbaro pours everything she has into her rendition of Baez, infusing not just talent but a great deal of memorable personality as what begins as a positive and endearing relationship with Dylan turns negative and she’s forced to stand beside him on stage while barely containing her contempt for him. Chalamet may be the star, but she’s got the power to make this film what it is.

Just as Barbaro spectacularly portrays someone at the start of her career, Norton, who has been acting for nearly three decades and whose credits are getting less frequent, comes in strong as the film’s guiding light, a genuine presence trying to steer this newcomer on the right path. Norton captures Seeger’s sincerity very well, and he’s in company with the likes of Norbert Leo Butz as the less understanding and patient fellow folk music enthusiast Alan Lomax. Elle Fanning continues to show that she’s more than capable of tackling any role she tries, and Boyd Holbrook makes a particularly entertaining and lasting impression as Johnny Cash, whose affinity for Dylan leads to a truly unusual and intriguing relationship.

Mangold feels like just the person to helm this story, bringing in elements of his Oscar-winning 2005 Cash biopic Walk the Line, teaming once again with cinematographer Phedon Papamichael to fold that character into this very different film. While much of it could play like a straight concert, its technical aspects converge to create a sense of being truly present in these magical musical moments, aware of the massive crowds but gifted with a front-row seat to the chemistry and the action. Some hardcore Dylan fans may argue that this isn’t a cohesive or definitive biopic, but the snapshot it does feature is sufficiently compelling and highly engaging.

Movie Rating: 8/10

Awards Buzz: Consider Chalamet a lock for his second Oscar nomination and a very strong contender for the win. The film could end up as a Best Picture nominee, with a few below-the-line mentions, like cinematography, costume design, sound, and film editing also very possible. Norton just scored a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, and he and Barbaro could also remain part of the conversation if the film’s profile continues to rise this late into awards season.