So, it’s 1961, and this young guy from Minnesota named Robert Zimmerman shows up at the hospital room of Woody Guthrie, who’s an ailing folk singer. But here’s the twist: Robert calls himself Bob Dylan now. Woody and his buddy Pete Seeger hear him play and right away, they know this kid’s got something special. Boom! Dylan jumps into the New York scene in Greenwich Village and pretty much takes over with his unique mix of music and protest lyrics that stick it to the man.

He starts dating Sylvie Russo but can’t seem to stay faithful—yep, he cheats on her with Joan Baez, another big name in the folk world. Things change in 1965 when Dylan pulls out his electric guitar with a rock band at one of his concerts. He moves away from songs full of politics to ones with sort of trippy lyrics that remind folks of poets like Rimbaud and Dylan Thomas.

A lot of people feel betrayed by this change—like he’s turned his back on them. But at the same time, he wins over the entire world with this new sound.

Figuring Dylan out is near impossible—he’s this complex mesh of truth and fiction mixed into myth-making magic. Instead of trying too hard to pin him down, maybe it’s better just seeing him for what he is—or was—to people back then and today as well.

Mangold takes a brave shot at telling Dylan’s story here: not breaking everything wide open like I’m Not There does with lots of actors taking bits of Dylan’s character—but still doing more than most straight-up biographies would dare!
Picture this: Timothée Chalamet taking on the role of a young, ambitious Bob Dylan. This movie homes in on when Dylan burst onto the scene as an enigmatic folksinger with new ideas and songs that shook things up. He’s portrayed as someone aloof and hard to figure out—kind of like you’d expect from the guy who wrote tunes like “Masters of War” or “Like a Rolling Stone.” Dylan has always been something of a mystery, expressing himself through his songs while remaining just out of reach.

Now, instead of the usual biopic approach that heavily focuses on life events, director James Mangold does something different. The film leans heavily into music—almost like it’s a musical itself—with Chalamet giving fresh takes on many classic Dylan tracks. So some typical biographical bits get streamlined or mixed up for dramatic effect; like adding Johnny Cash into the Newport scene, even though it fits weirdly in during that time.

Then there’s Edward Norton playing Pete Seeger—a kind-hearted mentor who’s both amazed and wary about Dylan’s meteoric rise and potential to outshine him. Norton’s portrayal really nails how Seeger saw potential but also felt inevitably let down. Unfortunately, the women in this story don’t get quite as much development, but overall it’s an intriguing look at an iconic figure’s early days with their complex web of real-life influences and relationships thrown in for good measure.
So, let’s talk about “A Complete Unknown.” Monica Barbaro totally nails it when she’s singing those Joan Baez-like tunes — her voice is really something! But when it comes to the more tricky dialogue parts, where she’s channeling Dylan alongside Timothée Chalamet’s character, let’s just say it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Not everything hits the mark perfectly, but with such an ambitious movie, that kind of makes sense. The cool thing? Even with its ups and downs, the movie somehow pulls everything together into something pretty special. It’s like all these different pieces come together to create a unique vibe you can’t easily forget.