The world of the music biopic is littered with as many failures (“Back To Black,” “Jersey Boys,” “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Respect,” and “Stardust”) as successes (“What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, “Get On Up,” “Ray,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Rocketman,” and “Control”).
Not quite as daring or satisfying as queer filmmaker Todd Haynes’ Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There” (from 2007), “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) isn’t writer/director James Mangold’s first time at the musical biopic rodeo. He wrote and directed 2005’s “Walk The Line” (about Johnny Cash, who is a major presence in “A Complete Unknown”). Spanning the years 1961 to 1965, Mangold attempts to squeeze a lot of history into the movie’s overly long nearly 2.5-hour run time, during which Dylan went from being a complete unknown to becoming one of the most recognizable names and faces in contemporary music.
After arriving in New York in 1961, Bob Dylan (a convincing Timothée Chalamet) seeks out his idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) in a New Jersey hospital where he is living with the effects of Huntington’s Disease. While there, he encounters folk legend Pete Seeger (an outstanding Edward Norton), who has his own issues, including dealing with a contempt of Congress charge. Nevertheless, Seeger takes the 21-year-old singer/songwriter under his wing, and Dylan’s life would never be the same.
Along the way, he acquires a high-powered manager, Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler), and begins two significant romantic relationships. One is with Sylvie (Elle Fanning, playing a fictionalized version of Suze Rotolo), an ambitious young woman to whom Dylan introduces the charms of Bette Davis (in “Now, Voyager,” which becomes a point of reference in their association). Their bond is strong, and Sylvie often offers him worthwhile career advice, but they are star-crossed lovers.
The other substantial relationship is with singer/songwriter Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), who is already an established performer when they meet. This not only adds a competitive element to their affair but also provides a kind of sexual tension. Of course, this is another romantic entanglement that is doomed to fail.
Meanwhile, Dylan continues to evolve and mature as an artist. The socio-political movements of the period impact him personally and creatively. It’s only a matter of time before he begins alienating those around him, including ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (Norbert Leo Butz), who goes from adulation to derision. However, it’s clear that Dylan will let nothing get in the way of his development as an icon.
As music biopics go, “A Complete Unknown,” succeeds in humanizing Dylan, even proving that he has a sense of humor. Some segments, including the one set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, drag on for too long, but it’s still worth getting to know “A Complete Unknown.”
Rating: B-
