James Mangold‘s ensemble piece “A Complete Unknown” is well in the works, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan. Let’s take a look at what makes him such a fine choice for the role.
Remembering his first encounter with Bob Dylan, James Mangold said,
“The first time I sat down with him, Bob said, ‘What’s this movie about, Jim?’ I said, ‘It’s about a guy who’s choking to death in Minnesota, and leaves behind all his friends and family and reinvents himself in a brand new place, makes new friends, builds a new family, becomes phenomenally successful, starts to choke to death again — and runs away.”
~ James Mangold
Making a movie about a giant like Bob Dylan is a mammoth task. Rather than making it a biopic, Mangold aimed for an ensemble piece. It was important to him not to reduce Dylan to a plot point that is easy for audiences to understand. That wouldn’t do anybody’s life justice. Bob Dylan himself always tried to avoid that very act by anybody.
The movie doesn’t have an official release date yet. Mangold however, hints that it could come out as soon as December. Being made as a strong ensemble piece, the movie is of going to focus on Dylan’s journey, but it’ll also portray the impact he had on the people around him. Next to Chalamet, we can expect amazing actors such as Elle Fanning as Dylan’s girlfriend Sylvie Russo (a renamed version of Dylan’s real-life girlfriend of that era, Suze Rotolo), Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, and Edward Norton as folk legend Pete Seeger.
An exceptional talent like Bob Dylan seems to be impossible for an actor to portray in a movie. A talent as such is a blessing and a burden at the same time. Not knowing if it’ll lift you up, or break you. Playing such an immensely complex role is a difficult task. This is where Timothée Chalamet comes in.
James Mangold isn’t new to telling the story of a legend. He knows the burden it puts on the actors playing them. When working on his 2005 film “Walk the Line” about Johnny Cash, Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed Cash, was so immersed in the role that he constantly asked Mangold to remind him that he is not Johnny Cash. The danger of losing oneself in the role, trying to do it justice is enormous. However, according to Mangold, it is not the goal to perfectly replicate a person’s physicality and voice, that’s just not humanly possible. Creating a movie like “A Complete Unknown” is about capturing the emotional dynamic of the people the movie is about.
Timothée Chalamet has heart. Every actor and every production that aims to portray a story, with music as such a vital part, has to decide for themselves if they want to perform the songs live on set. With production having been halted years ago by Covid, Chalamet had a sort of incubation as a musician that was years in the making. His bravery to put himself in such a place of vulnerability is commendable. His years of preparation made him eagerly want to do it.
Get a first look at Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Bob Dylan in the teaser trailer for “A Complete Unknown” below
Timothée Chalamet’s empathic performance skillfully represents Dylan’s love for listening to and making music. However, he keeps his reclusive side, or rather, portrays the Dylan who doesn’t want people in his face all the time. This is not to say his love for the camaraderie with other musicians gets lost. Quite the opposite. While exploring and creating music with others is the place where Dylan blooms, Chalamet, through his own experiences, beautifully captures the aspect of the discomfort that great achievements and talent may entail.
According to Mangold, Chalamet’s performance had its truly miraculous moments. He managed to really capture a special feeling in portraying Dylan. Furthermore, he does an incredible job at growing the character up from a 19-year-old boy, working at the carnival, to the legend that is Bob Dylan. The excitement for the release of “A Complete Unknown” is steadily growing. With brilliant minds such as James Mangold, Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning and Edward Norton working on the project we need to buckle up for a one of a kind cinematic experience.
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