A Complete Unknown

I don't often say movies change my life, but it's possible that can actually be true. Before we get far down that line of thinking, however, right now I'm referring specifically to the music I seek out. Music has never been an obsession, like movies or books might be, but obviously I do like it. My tastes just don't shift all that much. The last example of this, I think, was Walk the Line (2005).

I remember when Johnny Cash died a couple years prior, and knew it was a big deal, but up to that point I was pretty unfamiliar with his music. My house growing up didn't listen to much beyond what played on Christian stations and we certainly didn't listen to country. Walk the Line was my introduction to Cash. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible, for what he did to his voice and much more. But there's also no mistaking him for the real deal. (Side note: it'll always be hilarious how Reese Witherspoon is a better singer than June). Digging into Cash's backlog afterward I couldn't help but love his deep voice, his steady rhythms, his storytelling and his passion. It helped that he had a great redemption story too. I've been a fan ever since.

Twenty years later it's happened again, this time with Bob Dylan. Unlike Cash I was already somewhat familiar with Dylan but I don't think I would've considered myself a fan. That's changed after the movie.

If you missed it, A Complete Unknown (2024) came out last year, starring Timothee Chalamet. Funny enough it was also directed by James Mangold, who had already done Walk the Line. It covers Dylan's early years, with a move to New York, a start within the world of American folk music (involving, among others, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger) and the tension created by his refusal to adhere to folk's self-imposed guidelines. He goes electric you know. The ending, at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, is almost laughably overwrought, though apparently he did cause something of a stir. I, as well, somewhat found it amusing that the song 'It Ain't Me Babe' (written by Dylan to be sure) filled the exact same purpose in killing off an important long-term relationship.

What I liked most about the movie was twofold. First was seeing Dylan's humble beginnings yet unstoppable ability. Folk music is great! Dylan's purely folk music ('Blowin' in the Wind', 'The Times They Are a Changin'' etc.) is incredible. The window we get into that world is fascinating too. But Dylan was basically a force of nature with creativity that couldn't be constrained. I was struck by the scene where Joan Baez asks Dylan where the songs come from and Dylan doesn't know how to answer. Of course he wasn't going to stick to folk's rules. But I am glad he never entirely left it behind.

Second was Timothee Chalamet. He quite clearly put in a ton of work, supposedly preparing to do this for five years, and it shows. In doing the movie's press junket he was going around performing Dylan, all kinds of deep cuts, not just the hits, playing the guitar and singing himself. He knows and loves this stuff. Unlike Walk the Line where there's no mistaking Phoenix for Cash, if we're continuing to follow the comparison, here, with Chalamet and Dylan, you might. Watch these:

No, it's not a perfect clone. But it's really, really good. That's probably my favorite scene from the movie and captures what I like so much about it overall.

Anyway now I'm a Dylan fan. I've bought a couple of his albums and my most frequent Pandora station is centered on him too. He was exceptionally prolific and there's a lot of explore. In the grand scheme saying this movie changed my life is about as dramatic as the ending of this film. But it doesn't make it wrong.