A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Following Bob from the years 1961-1965, the story depicts the rise of the folk singer until he changes his tune by switching to electric, alienating a large population of his fan base with the move. It also shows his (at times) tumultuous relationships with lovers Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and fellow musician Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). Timothée Chalamet continues to be a chameleon as the iconic singer. He naturally slides into Dylan's dark shades with the costumes, hair, and accent. Like any musical biography, it hits the highlights while trying to fill in the gaps, which keeps the story moving (sometimes rather quickly). Director James Mangold also revives a character he's previously given a full-length feature to in Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook), and to be clear, Holbrook makes the character his own. While I most certainly appreciated Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of the man in black, Holbrook isn't a carbon copy of that interpretation. He makes the character his own for better or worse. It's a decent enough story that shows the flaws of a man who simply wants to make music and be left alone. Chalamet gives a wonderful performance and while I'm not 100% convinced he should be nominated for a best actor Oscar, it's pretty darn close if it isn't. 7/10