
A Complete Unknown, rated R
*** ½
This film about the career of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan from 1961-1965, is directed by two-time Oscar nominee James Mangold (Logan, Ford v. Ferrari), and written by Mangold, two-time Oscar nominee Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, The Age of Innocence), and is based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night that Split the Sixties by Elijah Wald. The film has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards – Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by a Male Actor (Timothée Chalamet), and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Edward Norton). It’s the best film I’ve seen this year.
The film opens with Dylan, played by Oscar nominee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name), arriving in New York City, searching for Woody Guthrie, played by Scoot McNairy, a hero of his. He finds Guthrie, who is suffering from Huntington’s disease in a hospital. There he meets Pete Seeger, played by three-time Oscar nominee Edward Norton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), American History X, Primal Fear). Seeger asks Dylan to sing a song for Guthrie.
Continue reading
