Fresh off receiving a trio of Golden Globe Award nominations, the review embargo on the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown has been lifted. Most critics are praising the film and the strong performance of its star, Timothée Chalamet, who many think is headed for his second Academy Award nomination.
As of this writing, A Complete Unknown is sitting with a fresh rating of 74% on Rotten Tomatoes with a total of 50 reviews counted. Many of the notices point to the transformative performance of Chalamet, with David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter saying, “It has many similar strengths [as Walk the Line] but different weaknesses, though Timothée Chalamet’s electrifying — in every sense — lead performance is not among the latter.” Paul McGuire Grimes of Paul’s Trip to the Movie also speaks of Chalamet’s transformation into Dylan, stating, “Timothée Chalamet gives an outstanding performance as Dylan. I never felt like he was doing a transformation or impersonation but rating channeling Dylan through himself.” While speaking of Chalamet’s range, Chris Hewitt of the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote, “Chalamet, whose range and confidence keep growing broader, is sensational as Dylan. He shares slightness with the singer, but, other than that, doesn’t look or sound much like him. Still, he gets at some essence that makes us believe.”
Not every critic was wowed by the film, with Palmer Haasch of Business Insider saying, “A Complete Unknown is at its best when it lets the music, rendered vibrantly through live performances, stand on its own. However…the film glosses over character and history alike and loses the connective tissue that would truly make it sing.” Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net spoke to how “plain” the biopic is by stating, “Early in the film, Bob Dylan says, ‘You can be beautiful or you can be ugly. But you can’t be plain.’ I wholeheartedly agree, because A Complete Unknown is one of the most plain biopics I’ve seen in a while.” Kevin Maher of Times (UK) didn’t enjoy the movie, but put none of that on the performance of Chalamet, writing, “The failure of this trivial and incurious Bob Dylan biopic is not the fault of lead actor Timothée Chalamet.
Timothée Chalamet Could be Headed for His Second Academy Award Nomination
Whichever side critics fall on, none of them seem to deny the power of Chalamet’s performance, which just earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama for his uncanny channeling of the popular folksinger and prolific songwriter. The actor’s fellow cast members have been singing the praises of his performance and have commented on how seriously he took the role, even cutting himself off from any distractions that would prevent him from becoming Dylan in all the ways that mattered. Edward Norton, who co-stars with Chalamet, spoke about his dedication in a recent interview and also found himself nominated at the Globes for his supporting performance as Pete Seeger.
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A Complete Unknown Review: Timothée Chalamet Disappears Into Bob Dylan’s Game-Changing Early Years
Timothée Chalamet becomes Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s beautiful depiction of a pivotal moment in the music scene of the 1960s.
Chalamet will most likely earn his second Academy Award nomination following his Best Actor nod for his breakout performance in the 2017 film Call Me by Your Name, which kicked off a career already littered with great performances before the age of 30. He’s certainly one of the best actors of his generation, with A Complete Unknown serving as another shining example of his talents.
Directed by James Mangold from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jay Cocks, A Complete Unknown is based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties by Elijah Wald. The movie focuses on Dylan’s controversial decision to use electric instruments. In addition to Chalamet and Norton, the film also stars Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, and Scoot McNairy.
A Complete Unknown is a biographical movie that follows a young Bob Dylan as he integrates with New York and catches the eye of the folk singers in the area, eventually propelling him into stardom.
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