Whether you're a long time Bob Dylan fan, know him from your dad or you only know ‘Knockin’ on heaven's door’, or maybe you just fancy Timothee Chalamet, no judgement; this movie is worth watching. Directed by James Mangold, director of ‘girl, interrupted’ and ‘Walk The Line’, A Complete Unknown tells the story of Bob Dylan, from 1961 until 1965. The movie gets its title from lyrics from ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ by Bob Dylan, from his album ‘Highway 61 Revisited', released in 1965. I loathe to admit that I wasnt a fan, but I can wholeheartedly say that I believe that Bob Dylan will be on my Spotify Wrapped this year.

Bob Dylan was by no means an angel, and this movie shows that. It's important to note that this is a biopic and not a documentary so it's not 100% accurate. Like all movies, many scenes are exaggerated and have many creative liberties. Bob Dylan himself requested they add a completely false scene, and change one of the character’s names. But all that's really needed in biopics is emotional accuracy, and in my opinion it delivered. Timothee Chalamet had 5 years to prepare for his role, due to the pandemic delaying production. Timothee sings, plays harmonica and guitar live for all his songs, 17 songs, which is unusual for actors to do but i think it proves dedication and that he deserves to finally win that oscar! Elle Fanning plays Sylvie, Dylan’s first serious girlfriend in New York. She has depth and is an incredibly likeable character, who was a part of the congress of racial equality. Monica Barbaro plays Joan Baez, and does a spectacular job. Baez and Dylan had a tumultuous relationship. Notable characters also include Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash!

The movie starts as Bob Dylan arrives in New York City, 1961. Bob travels to a hospital to meet his idol Woody Guthrie. Here, he meets Pete Seeger and sings them both a song.

Bob meets Sylvie at a concert, and they go on a date. They begin dating and Bob moves into her apartment. Dylan and Baez both attend an open mic night where Bob impresses a manager, Albert Grossman, and manages to get signed, though his label makes him release an album of covers of old folk songs, instead of his originals. Whilst Sylvie is away on a trip, Joan and Bob begin an affair and a collaboration. Sylvie becomes suspicious after seeing how close the pair are during a performance, and she and Dylan split. It's now 1965 and Baez and Dylan have a disaster of a tour together which fuels Dylan's desire to break free from the expectations everyone has of him. He begins recording a new album, with an electric band, Highway 61 Revisited. Before heading to the Newport folk festival, Bob stops by Sylvie’s apartment and invites her to go with him; she agrees but leaves after seeing Joan and Bob sing ‘it ain’t me, babe’ realising she can't feel comfortable in their relationship. 

The committee from the Newport folk festival and Pete Seeger try to convince Dylan to not play electric for the final night of the festival, whilst Johnny Cash tells Dylan he should. Bob agrees with Johnny, deciding to play with his electric band. The crowd is really unhappy, booing and throwing rubbish at the stage. The committee for the festival tries to cut the sound from the stage, but are stopped by Albert Grossman and Pete’s wife, Toshi. Bob Dylan goes to visit Woody Guthrie for the last time, before leaving on his motorbike.

I had a conversation a few weeks ago with someone, who asked me how I'd categorize Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan to me is a songwriter. He's great on guitar, and he's not particularly praised for his vocal abilities, but he is known for his words. ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ had a significant impact on the civil rights movement, acting as an unofficial anthem. After all, he is the only artist to have ever won a nobel prize in literature. And of course, in true Bob Dylan fashion, he did not attend the awards ceremony.

"A Complete Unknown" is still in cinemas, coming out on streaming services such as prime video on February 25th and hopefully on Bluray soon!