A Complete Unknown, by James Mangold

It all starts when Bobby gets to New York City looking for folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, who’s in the hospital due to a severe illness. Looking to make it in the music industry, and much like the romantic cliché of being a penny-less artist in the big city armed with just his talent (but what a talent!), Dylan proves from the beginning that he didn’t come to play; he’s here to fight and be heard. Serendipity reunites him at the hospital where Guthrie is recovering with Pete Seeger (Edward Norton, also nominated to the Oscar as Best Actor in a Supporting Role), another folk artist and a board member of the Newport Folk Festival. Backed by someone with the right connections, Dylan’s career skyrockets.

Mangold decides to explore a brief chapter of Dylan’s decades-long career: the beginning, where it all started. It’s always interesting to know what happened to artists before they became household names — who were they, where did they come from, how did they accomplish their goals, etc. There is something almost relatable in the sense that it’s all before they were rich and famous, so we can understand what it’s like to live with a mattress on the floor and few utensils. But in A Complete Unknown, there still lacks a lot of depth to understand Bob Dylan’s character, especially the ‘bad’ sides: battling addiction or juggling with the love of two women who appreciate him. Mangold shows that darker side, and he does that without judgement (not getting into details about how destructive, or even manipulative he can be, but giving us a hint to just see that he was that); however, it feels a bit shallow, especially knowing that it was a part of his troubling character that was troubling.

Besides that, A Complete Unknown fulfills its role in portraying a genius artist whose talent captivated large audiences rapidly, and even more so, his will to be non-conforming and push the limits of his artistry. After being one of the most successful musicians of the early ‘60s with just a guitar and a harmonica, and composing generational anthems like Blowin’ in the Wind that spoke of people’s fears and concerns regarding the Civil Rights movement or war, Dylan didn’t want to be known for only that; instead, he delved into other genres like rock and invited musicians who played electronic instruments, thus making his sound evolve and expand. It was his seminal album Bringing It All Back Home (1965), where he shied away from protest music and folk to delve into more complex, even abstract songwriting, that set a before-and-after in his career.

And the movie perfectly portrays how Bob Dylan reclaimed his agency over his music. When music festivals, record labels, managers, and other artists try to have a say in what he does, trying to jail him in the folk music prison that initially granted him major success, he breaks free from societal expectations and the chains that want to put him in a very confined, limited box. Chalamet plays brilliantly that part, and so does the rest of the cast (Monica Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez, is also nominated to an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role).

With a phenomenal cast, great script, and, naturally, incredibly moving and thrilling music, A Complete Unknown portrays the early beginnings and rapid rise to fame of one of the most significant figures in Western culture. It’s heart-warming, educational, and easy to watch. However, as a film, it lacks some depth in the storyline. But overall, it’s a good movie you should watch.