A Complete Unknown

2024 Searchlight Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 21min

Biography ~ Drama ~ Music

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Eriko Hatsune, Big Bill Morganfield, Will Harrison, and Scoot McNairy.

The Ballad Of A True Original

In 1961 a 19 year old from Minnesota named Robert Zimmerman (Timothée Chalamet) hitchhikes his way to New York City with his acoustic guitar and a backpack. His musical Idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) is slowly dying of Huntington’s disease and he wants to meet him before he dies. When he arrives in Greenwich Village he finds out which hospital Woody is staying in and heads there with his guitar and backpack. Walking down the hospital hallway he hears another of his idols Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) singing and Robert walks into the room.

He introduces himself as Bob Dylan and tells them he is a big fan of their music. He wrote a song for Woody and asks them if he can play it for them. After he is finished playing the song, both Pete and Woody express their approval of the song he wrote. Pete is so impressed he invites the young Bob Dylan back to his family home where he stays for a couple of days. Pete takes Bob under his wing and shows him off at a popular Open Mic Folk Club in Greenwich Village. Joan Baez is there and performs before he does. Bob is immediately a hit and record execs soon sign Bob to a record deal.

A Complete Unknown chronicles the time of Bob Dylan’s rise to stardom from his arrival in Greenwich Village in 1961 to the infamous moment at the Newport folk Festival in 1965 when Bob Dylan went electric. Completely immersed in the folk music scene at that time, the songs were all acoustic and the songs were mainly old folk songs or social justice songs penned for the times. Bob soon grew tired of the music and strict formalities of the folk genre that made him a star. He aspired to take his music in a different direction and at the Newport Folk Festival (an all acoustic Folk music event) he debuted music from his upcoming release Highway 61 Revisited with a full electric band.

The Movie is based on the 2016 Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wild. It was a pivotal moment in music history and an amazing story of how a 19 year old kid from Minnesota got swept up in the folk music scene in New York City and then blew it apart from the inside out and made music history. Timothée Chalamet did an outstanding job of portraying the young Bob Dylan becoming an Icon. Edward Norton as Pete Seeger was a surprise, a different role for him but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. I loved Elle Fanning in this portraying Bob’s girlfriend Sylvie. Nice Job! You felt as though you were right there every step of the way on Bob’s journey.

Arriving in Greenwich Village with nothing, getting swept up in the music industry, quickly becoming a Legend and a Musical Icon. Having a professional and personal very tumultuous relationship with Joan Baez, and becoming a pen pal with Johnny Cash! It is quite the story and it is quite the movie. I am not a diehard Bob Dylan fan although I do like his music, but I enjoyed the movie immensely and it gave me new found respect for the man and his music. I highly Recommend watching A Complete Unknown, even if he is Completely Unknown to you. It’s a good ride and at 2 hours and 21 minutes it seemed to be a quick one. I’ll be watching this one again.