Critical Reception for Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan Portrayal

Timothée Chalamet’s depiction of US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in the new biographical film, *A Complete Unknown*, has garnered critical acclaim. The movie has already received three Golden Globe nominations and is anticipated to contend for Oscars in the upcoming year. The Guardian highlighted Chalamet’s “amazing bravado” in his performance, and Empire described the actor as “superb” with “unimpeachable” musical talent. Conversely, the Independent suggested the biopic “plays too safe,” while Screen Rant characterized the “serviceable” production as a “fascinating yet frustrating” portrayal. *A Complete Unknown* is scheduled for release in the US on Christmas Day and in the UK on January 17. Bob Dylan himself has given his approval for the film, despite not having viewed it when he commented on X last week. Dylan stated, “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me.” Clarisse Loughrey of the Independent, in her three-star review, observed that the film “takes a reverent stance to Dylan’s artistry, populated by technically accomplished musical performances.” She noted that Chalamet’s voice “isn’t perfect, but it’s undoubtedly impressive,” and further commented that the film is “shot with a real sensitivity to the emotional landscape of each track.” The movie draws its narrative from Elijah Wald’s 2015 publication, *Dylan Goes Electric!* It is set in the early 1960s and chronicles Dylan’s ascent to prominence, highlighting the tension between his folk origins and his ambition to incorporate rock ‘n’ roll into his musical range. This internal struggle is symbolized by his choice between an acoustic and an electric guitar, as his lyrics progressively grow bolder and more reflective of his observations of the world. The narrative culminates with a renowned and tumultuous performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, during which Dylan faced boos from certain audience members for performing an electric set accompanied by an amplified band. Pete Hammond of Deadline commended the film’s production design, costumes, cinematography, and particularly its central performance. He remarked, “At the centre of this all is a remarkable performance by Chalamet, who performs all the songs himself in astonishing and authentic fashion. There is no lip-syncing or blending of voices between actor and subject.” Hammond further added, “The music of course is worth the price of admission, but in Mangold’s hands fortunately there is so much more to add, thus making Bob Dylan a little less than complete unknown by the time the credits roll.” Additionally, the film explores Dylan’s romantic connections, specifically with civil rights activist Sylvie Russo, portrayed by Elle Fanning, and folk musician Joan Baez, played by Monica Barbaro. Mae Abdulbaki from Screen Rant commented, “I could understand both women more clearly than Chalamet’s Dylan. Behind his sunglasses and tight body language, Dylan remains elusive.” She continued, “The film is very much about an artist who doesn’t explain himself, and I have immense respect for that, but it also creates an emotional disconnect in narrative form. It was as though I was watching a series of events that I couldn’t bring myself to care about. That’s what Mangold risks by keeping Dylan out of reach.” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian provided a highly positive review, granting the film five stars and commending Chalamet’s “hilarious and seductive portrayal.” Bradshaw noted, “Interestingly the story, despite the classic music-biopic tropes that Mangold did so much to popularise, does not conform to the classic rise-fall-learning-experience-comeback format. It’s all rise, but troubled and unclear.” Kevin Maher of The Times expressed considerably less enthusiasm, giving the film only two stars. He observed, “There will be audiences who will regard the recreation of Newport ’65 as a monumental cinematic event. But for many it will land with a giant shrug of indifference.” Maher also stated, “[Chalamet’s] performance is an unhelpful study in blank-eyed lockjaw minimalism, while his singing voice is fine if, occasionally, close to parody (but all Dylan imitators sound like parody).” With a celebrated discography spanning seven decades, Dylan is widely recognized for popular songs including Blowin in the Wind, Mr. Tambourine Man, It Ain’t Me Babe, Girl From The North Country, and The Times They Are a Changin’. In a four-star review, Robbie Collin of the Telegraph suggested, “Perhaps Dylan himself is too mercurial a figure for a biopic to ever capture him completely. A Complete Unknown comes about as close as one could reasonably hope.” He added, “For the most part, the film plays like a juicy rise-to-power drama rather than a scenic tour of an artist’s Wikipedia page.” Separately, Nick Curtis of the Evening Standard humorously remarked that the film instilled in him a strong desire to “really, really want to learn to play harmonica.” Curtis observed, “It’s a defiantly unlikeable performance, miles away from Chalamet’s romantic leads.” He further stated, “He captures Dylan’s craning stance and the way he used hair and sunglasses as a mask, the insistent buzz and keen of his speaking and singing voice and the odd, touchy, insularity.” *A Complete Unknown* also features Edward Norton and is helmed by James Mangold, known for directing the Johnny Cash biopic *Walk The Line* and entries in the X-Men and Indiana Jones franchises. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter commented, “Commendably, neither the movie nor the actor sugarcoat the abrasiveness of a creative genius whose insensitivity toward people close to him often stands in stark contrast to the humanity in his songs.” He continued, “That detachment leaves something of a hole where the emotional centre should be in the screenplay by Mangold and Jay Cocks. Making a film about an enigmatic subject is inherently challenging and the writers deserve credit for declining to try to solve the mystery of Bob Dylan, even if that also risks making them seem incurious.” John Nugent of Empire concluded, “Frustratingly, for a story about a poetic genius, it struggles to find something fresh to say. There is some interesting stuff about the burden of talent… But by 1965 he is almost always behind sunglasses, his enigma calcified.” He added, “The film doesn’t claim to understand Dylan, and suggests Dylan might not understand himself, either. That title, it seems, is literal.”