PETER BRADSHAW reviews A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

[@ianmcilwraith4479]

Fab review Peter. Really loved it and wasn't expecting it to be so emotional with the Woody/Bob relationship.

[@Cathal.]

Lovely tribute to Tony. Whose Line is it Anyway was a staple in our house growing up. Sad to hear he's gone. R.I.P.

[@RGproductions100]

Absolutely loved it! Went in VERY trepidatious, expecting a Walk The Line treatment, but this movie completely won me over with its understated, beautiful, and subtly immersive approach. The musical performances genuinely feel like you're at an underground cafe, adding a unique, intimate charm. As always, love your reviews- passionate, insightful, and always authentic and unpretentious. Always my go-to

[@PeterBradshaw1]

Thank you!

[@hootmor]

Woody Guthrie had Huntington’s Disease

[@c.a.savage5689]

What a great review. P. Bradshaw has the ability to inspire avid interest and enthusiasm with his unique wit and intelligence. No breathless fan of Dylan's, l am now compelled to see this film. Thank you, l think.

[@aboukirman3508]

So true!!! 👍

[@rafd3593]

Looking forward to seeing the film and enjoying the music. Thanks for your review and tribute to Tony Slattery - a similar age to me, but not at my alma mater, the University of Leeds.

[@markkenny2001]

Hello Peter, I'm seeing the film today.

[@LucyLennon909]

I watched "A Complete Unknown" on Xmas, the day the film was released. I loved every minute and was left wanting more. One thing i disliked was at the end - having to read those scrolling words on the theatre screen. (* not the credits ... the other words describing what Dylan went on to do).

[@leonthecanteen5443]

I really enjoyed the film. Sadly some folks want a blow by blow account of the time. No FILM can/will do that. It's a overview of 61-65. I mean even the JUDAS shout is not in MANCHESTER, but in Newport. Folk need to enjoy the ride instead of looking for docu levels of realism. EDIT You've just mentioned Manchester/Judas

[@pamelaatkinsonscats2873]

Looking forward to seeing the Dylan film. Timothée Chalamet always gives a good performance judging by the films I’ve seen him in. I’m sorry to hear about Tony Slattery’s death. I remember him fondly from Whose Line Is It Anyway.

[@hcitron]

Buy his book in a bookstore

[@ericamacs3875]

I'm looking forward to this, but I do feel rage on behalf of Manchester that they've moved such a famous incident to America. Also that scene of them singing at the festival does make me think of A Mighty Wind lol.

[@jonlilley9288]

Good review. Enjoyed the film more than I expected after some of the reviews.

[@stephaniemoore9122]

Well done! I loved the movie Chalamet has entered adulthood give him his award!

[@AbcDef-ww2gy]

Always the best critic on RT and MC. Even when we don't agree, he always expresses himself well. [I can't say whether I agree on this film or not as I haven't seen it yet, but I certainly will do so soon.]

[@PeterBradshaw1]

Thank you!

[@noodleperson17]

Woody had Huntington’s Chorea 😢

[@dominictemple]

I've been planning on seeing it, but knowing that you actually liked the film and its performances may actually get my father, very much a Dylan purist, to decide to join me as he's always put weight behind your opinions.

[@DanielWhite-v4e]

legolas

[@joeb5765]

Saw it last night. It was weird. First of all- it's a musical. There's no other word for it. There isn't a great deal of talking in it- all of the scenes are just excuses to have him play a song- Dylan goes to party where he plays a song, Dylan gets off with Baez (which we dont see) then plays her a song, Dylan in the clubs, Dylan in the recording Studio etc. Its like fuckin mamma mia. Also, its incredibly sanitised. Like to a notable, borderline daft degree. There's no weed, never mind heroin. No beatles or ginsberg or nico or velvet underground. He doesn't say 'play fuckin loud' he says 'play loud'. There's- I thought anyway- a couple of bits that felt weirdly cringe. So at one point they cgi Chalamet's face onto Dylan at The March on Washington and they actually show the real footage of Ossie Davies introducing him. Pure Forest Gump tackle. There's another weird scene where he's playing Blowin in the Wind to Woody Guthrie at the hospital (before it comes out) and a black male nurse comes in and tells him to stop singing cause it's not a nightclub. And it's as though they're saying 'ah the irony- little did this black guy know, but that song was about to solve racism.'. They've clearly tried to write the entire script in aphorisms, as if everyone in the 60s only spoke in zingers that happen to be perfectly constructed for adverts. A lot of the actual spoken words are in the adverts, I felt like I'd seen most of the film. I had pretty much precisely the reaction I predicted I would have which was 'this is corny, toothless and sentimental but I don't care because I'm having fun because I love Dylan too much and I'm happy that he's having a moment in the sun, I'm happy that this might bring him to a bigger audience and mainly I'm moved that Chalamet went from knowing nothing about Dylan to becoming a Dylan obsessive. I just like watching a young lad get into Dylan on an obsessive level. Also- I'm basically listening to a load of Dylan songs, which is fine by me.'. I couldn't judge it through an objective lens because its Dylan. Its like watching an autobiopic about my dad that portrays him as a great hero- of course im going to enjoy it. There is also a sort of weird and quite pathetic pleasure/longing in watching someone get to play at being Dylan. It's like watching someone play your favourite song on karaoke and absolutely knock the song out of the park. It's sort of the ultimate Dylan nerd-dream. You never think you could BE DYLAN (cause Dylan is too great), but imagine if you could play act as him, with a full toy-box of costumes and musicians and characters, imagine being able to pay tribute to him like that, maybe he'll see it, maybe he'll like it, maybe you'll be friends. So in my opinion it's a corny, formulaic, sanitised film not too distant from Dewey Cox. It's absolutely ripe for parody. It really is corny as all hell. But did I enjoy it? Yes. But I couldn't not could I? One thing I will say is the bar is extraordinarily low in the sense that if you make a film about Dylan and you don't fall COMPLETELY flat on your face, that's a start. It wasn't as abhorrent as Back to Black - but what is? It wasn't a black stain on humanity. Although there is literally a scene where Woody Guthrie- riddled with huntingdon's disease passes down his literal and metaphorical harmonica to Bob which was just hilarious. Norton does a good impression of Seeger, the Babaro does a good impression of baez. chalamet is chalamet. I really like the kid. He has charisma and a sort of child-like 'im having so much fun' naivete and he does well with the songs and the guitar playing and he doesn't over blow the Dylan voice too much. I did think 'maybe this will be better than walk the line.'. It's not really, i mean it is but its the same type of Dewey Cox style product. It's just that I prefer Dylan. Although chalamet is better as Dylan than phoenix as cash. How could he be worse? I thought Boyd Holbrook did quite well as Cash (he looks appalling in the adverts) but he is given some of the corniest, most specious aphorisms. It has a sort of master- slave reverence for Bob which - pathetic as I am- thought was the only correct tone, because he's basically God. So- bad film, well acted (as well acted as a film this badly written could be), cheesy, sentimental, sanitised and but infused with meaning for me because of my relationship with Bob so completely fun. But main take aways- it is quite literally a musical. They must have played 15-20 Bob songs. R.I.P. DAVID LYNCH.

[@Daniel-sh3os]

What would you recommend as a well written picture of a musician (s)? Also, was Jack Elliot close to Bob Dylan at one time?

[@joeb5765]

​@Daniel-sh3os hey it seems to have deleted my reply for some reason. I don't really like music biopics but I would recommend Bound for Glory (about Woody Guthrie) and Love and Mercy (Brian Wilson). And yeah Dylan and Elliot were friends. I keep trying to post a link to an interview with Ramblin Jack to illustrate this but for some reason it won't let me for some reason! Sorry. If you just type it unto Google, there are interviews.😊

[@Telabib-q2d]

Just been to see this film, and it was amazing.

[@marjorierunyan8815]

I absolutely love the movie and enjoy your review. I’ve seen it three times and even though I am the same age as Bob Dylan one year older, I wasn’t a huge fan because I was busy raising babies, etc. at that time of my life. Did I say I’ve seen the movie three times and I would go again I don’t expect movies to be absolutely accurate and everything they are for our entertainment people don’t forget that but go see it. It’s a wonderful movie a lot of wonderful music and Timothée Chalamet was fantastic.

[@PeterBradshaw1]

Thank you for this comment!

[@johnsharman7262]

Good review of Dylan film: Dylan needs an impressionistic actor like Chalomet, because beyond his genius, he is/was a fictional creation: it's a bit like if the Beatles had started from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, where they are a fictional group of singers in a band. No Direction Home a good doc on time.

[@stuartkempesq]

there's musicality in this review

[@heartofcinema3454]

Never enjoy biopics. So will miss this.

[@LucyLennon909]

"A Complete Unknown" isn't a biography.

[@heartofcinema3454]

@@LucyLennon909 I stand corrected, it's a biopic, drama musical. Not my cup of tea. I do like Bob Dylan's songs, even though I don't rate his vocals highly.

[@LucyLennon909]

@heartofcinema3454 I don't go to the cinema to watch movies, but I went on Xmas day alone to see "A Complete Unknown" in a theatre half full of people. Since I'm a USNavy Veteran I got a 'military discount' on my ticket. It cost $6. ... There's alot of positive and negative 'chatter' about the film on you tube. I hope to see it again, someday.

[@joeb5765]

Also- there is a perverse sense of vindication seeing Bob on the big screen at the multiplexes. Like it was the culmination of MY life's work as well as his. He's gone platinum, or silver (screen). And all power to him. I hope he gets shit loads of money out of this and I hope it serves as a gateway for some people.

[@MartinFGayford]

I disagree - Chalamet isn't more present than the real thing in Don't Look back; he's less humorous and more miserable and distant. I really enjoyed the film, and I found TC's version of Bob likeable but he was too morose much of the time to be believable as the real Bob.

[@MichaelFMalArtnow]

Big Yellow Taxi

[@joeb5765]

Peter you '❤'-ed my comment and now you have removed your heart shaped emoji. Hows that supposed to make me feel? What gives man? Shep said you'd be here at 7.30.

[@PeterBradshaw1]

That must be a fat-fingered mistake!!

[@joeb5765]

​@@PeterBradshaw1OK all is forgiven. I think I accidentally deleted it myself so i had to re-post. My fingers could lose a few pounds.

[@joeb5765]

​​@@PeterBradshaw1I accidentally deleted the original comment so all 20 of our fingers need to go on a diet.

[@joeb5765]

​@@PeterBradshaw1​​ I accidentally deleted the original comment so all 20 of our fingers need to go on a diet.

[@joeb5765]

​@@PeterBradshaw1I forgive you.

[@AnneBarker-h7z]

This review is full of inaccuracies!

[@joeb5765]

FINAL (I promise) thought. I doubt this will win many Oscars or even do that well at the box office. I don't really see who it is appealing to- extremely forgiving Dylan obsessives like me? How rare is an extremely forgiving Dylan obsessive? Will it appeal to new timers who don't know who he is? Well how many people who don't know Dylan want to sit for 2 hours and watch Timothy chalamet play his songs? That really is what the film is. There's no real story or character depth. The whole civil rights movement and Vietnam is basically ignored. I wanted it to have a grain of real American sentimentality. I wanted The Shawshank Redemption starring Bob Dylan. It actually feels like you might get that, early in the film. Especially when he plays Song to Woody to Woody Guthrie. But it becomes increasingly distant as it goes on, and becomes a kind of box ticking Bob Dylan karaoke party. Nevertheless- i liked it. But only cause i love Bob.

[@Himmelhauser]

Trailers & clips suggest a dud.

[@DanielWhite-v4e]

mmmbop

[@DanielWhite-v4e]

I touch myself

[@johnm1030]

Who gives a rip

[@norapaley9168]

Just read your absolutely brilliant review of Citizen Kane . Now devoted to you. BTW Seeger was not upset by electric. He claimed it was the sound quality that infuriated him.

[@marjorierunyan8815]

I absolutely love the movie and enjoy your review. I’ve seen it three times and even though I am the same age as Bob Dylan one year older, I wasn’t a huge fan because I was busy raising babies, etc. at that time of my life. Did I say I’ve seen the movie three times and I would go again I don’t expect movies to be absolutely accurate and everything they are for our entertainment people don’t forget that but go see it. It’s a wonderful movie a lot of wonderful music and Timothée Chalamet was fantastic.