“A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, was released to theaters on Dec. 25, 2024. Directed by James Mangold, Chalamet plays a pre-fame Dylan as he arrives in 1961 New York, hoping to get his start in the music industry. From his beginning as a folk music artist to his infamous transition into rock ‘n roll, Chalamet’s new movie tells Dylan’s (at times fictional) story as he navigates his life in the spotlight after being a completely unknown artist. 

I did not know much about Dylan’s life before seeing this movie, only that he was a talented lyricist with a terrible singing voice. I soon learned that, at least in the film, Dylan’s journey to becoming the music legend he is today began when he visited famous folk musicians Woody Guthrie (played by Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (played by Edward Norton) in the hospital, as Guthrie was ill with Huntington’s disease. There, Dylan sang an original, “Song to Woody,” which convinced Seeger of his talent enough to introduce him to the New York folk scene. This was the first song Chalamet sang in the movie, and I was surprised to hear that he did a great impression of Dylan’s scratchy, raspy, and rough singing voice. 

As Dylan plays in music venues, he meets folk musician Joan Baez (played by Monica Barbaro) as she sings “House of the Rising Sun,” which I thought was beautifully done, especially considering Barbaro did not know how to sing before the movie. Chalamet follows her act by performing a song with Dylan’s iconic harmonica and guitar duo. Both Barbaro and Chalamet seemed quite familiar with playing their instruments, just as a real musician should be; the actors learned to play guitar and harmonica for the movie. Also, in real life, Baez and Dylan had a tumultuous affair during the 1960s; I thought the foundation was first laid in this part of the movie, with curious and long glances between the two artists.

Dylan continues to sing around the music scene, and at one such performance, he meets Sylvie Russo (played by Elle Fanning). Russo represents Dylan’s real-life girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, whom he dated during his rise to fame. A classic song such as “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” was said to be inspired by his relationship with Rotolo. In the movie, Russo is a college student with a passion for civil rights; she seems to introduce Chalamet’s Dylan to the activism scene during the period. I loved the chemistry between Fanning and Chalamet; it made them a sweet couple, and I rooted for them to last. 

Throughout the movie, I was continually surprised by Chalamet as Dylan. I have seen films with him before, and while I always thought he was talented acting-wise, Chalamet is so famous that I saw him more as himself than any character he played. However, in “A Complete Unknown,” he wholly transformed into Dylan. Chalamet emulated the musician’s mannerisms, voice, and attitude perfectly. The incredible hair, makeup, and costumes helped with this, as Dylan would not be himself without his curly back hair, sunglasses, and permanent cigarette. 

Some scenes are entirely fictional, like other movies based on real people or a true story. Surprisingly, I did not have a problem with this because the added scenes only enhance the story, as opposed to its direction completely. 

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