Not sure if it is part of adulthood, or older age, or what, but it seems like my interest in going to see movies has seriously diminished in recent years. Truth be told, I got burned out some years ago when it comes to superhero movies. I was still into them for quite a while when they seemed to be very consistently coming out. It worked out because when my son was younger, it was a joy to bring him to see them. We could enjoy them together, discuss the movie afterwards. He was always excited to see them.
Yet, there came a point, perhaps inevitably, when those movies just grew tiresome. For me, it was probably around the time that The Joker (the original one) came out. I was struck by how that movie, in so many ways, was unconventional for a "superhero" movie. After all, it focused on the back story of the rise of a supervillain, and not a superhero. Also, there was a lot about what ails us, collectively. Which means that it examined our collective sickness within society. It moved me in many respects far more than the typical superhero genre movie did.
Then I learned that the director had wanted to make exactly that kind of a movie. But since at that time, the only way that Hollywood would even think about funding the kind of a movie that he wanted to made was through a superhero movie like that, he was forced to utilize that genre, even if that movie, in certain respects, really did not fit the mold, to say the least.
That got me to thinking about how it seemed very few quality movies that were not either a superhero movie of some sort or other (and I am including some franchises that I still tend to love, like Star Wars or Indiana Jones or even possibly Dune) or some kind of what we could call cutesy-wootsy movie, like the Disney or Pixar movies, had become very rare indeed.
All of this coincided with my son happening to reach an age when the superhero flicks also began to be of less interest, which meant that we began to go to see such movies less and less. In turn, I found that my own interest in actually going to see some of the movies that were coming out seemed, at best, to be quite limited.
Of course, there were some exceptions. Yes, I went to see the last Indiana Jones movie a a couple of years ago. Also, Oppenheimer really stood out (although admittedly, Barbie not so much, and I still have yet to see that one). Still also would likely be interested in seeing any major Star Wars movies (or television programs) that come out. And Deadpool 3 was one of the rare superhero movies that I wanted to go see (but have not yet, even though it long ago left the theaters). Still have yet to rent that one.
But I digress...
The point is, this movie about the days of Bob Dylan's youth was one of those exceptions. This was a new movie coming out which I was interested in going to see while it was still playing in the movie theaters. It seemed that nobody else around me was particularly interested, but I nevertheless thought it might be worth going to see in the theaters, even by myself. Yet, I never did actually go. And whenever I brought it up to my girlfriend as a possible rental, she seemed, at best, half interested. So it just kind of remained on the backburner.
At least until the recent trip to Europe. Because it was one of the movie options on the overseas flight. So I was determined to go see it.
Suffice to say, I did not watch it on the way to Europe. There was a Chinese movie which looked interesting, and which I figured was a "now or never" kind of a thing, since those often are not even an option in terms of viewing. But it was an overnight flight, and seeing as though the next day would be all about trying to visit as much of Lisbon as possible before the second flight to Paris the next day, I was intent on sleeping. Plus, the movie just did not grab me, and so I slept for most of the flight. No real time for a movie, anyway.
However, that was not so much the case on the return flight. Don't get me wrong: I did sleep some on the return flight. Yet, I managed to find the time to watch A Complete Unknown in it's entirety.
Now, first thing: this is not the best movie to watch on a flight. After all, this is about a musician, and so obviously there will be some music. And those cheap headphones really are not the best when it comes to being able to appreciate the music in such a film.
Still, this review is not about the detractions of my particular viewing experience. Far from it. Just an aside, and in fact a compliment of sorts, because I am saying that this movie really is worth taking the time and effort to go watch when you have much better audio options than I did.
It focuses on a very young Bob Dylan, when he first goes to New York City. Despite being, as the title suggests, a complete unknown, he soon meets folk legends Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Becomes friends with both, and they both recognize that this kid's got talent. Seeger in particular takes Dylan under his wing.
Yet, we of course already know that Dylan's feather are going to be incredibly bright. That soon enough, he will become quite the big name performer in his own right, which of course the movie shows. How could they not show that, since it is central to this era of Dylan's life?
That said, there is one scene in particular which really stood out for me, because it was moving. That would be the first performance (don't believe it was the actual first time that Dylan sang this now iconic tune, but it was representative of the impact that it had) of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" which, of course, came to be so iconic as to be the de facto soundtrack for an entire generation. In fact, the crowd recognizes this instantly. Very quickly, they rise to their feet, and by the second chorus, they join Dylan and loudly and joyously sing along with him whenever he gets to the title lyrics. You really get a feel for why this particular song was so moving to an entire generation. Also, the reaction of the young Dylan (played beautifully by Timothy Chalamet) was telling. It feels like the moment when he recognizes that his life has now changed, and that there is no going back. Somehow, you get the impression that he is not all that thrilled about it, either.
Beyond that, there are other elements in the movie, as well. A lot of themes are juggled, which feels like the sign of a good movie, suitably complex. There is Dylan's tendency to kind of use attractive women while the chance is there, including, famously, Joan Baez (played wonderfully by Monica Barbaro). But while they seem serious about him, you definitely don't get the same impression when it comes to how he feels about them. In fact, he kind of comes across as a bit of a selfish prick.
Furthermore, there is Dylan's desire to be free, artistically. That means that he rejects being pigeonholed into simply a folk musician, as he branches out to more convention rock, particularly when he uses an electric guitar. When he does this at the 1965 Newport Music Festival, there is strong, negative reaction. Many are booing, and Seeger in particular feels pressure from folk loyalists, while also recognizing Dylan's undeniable musical genius. It is a suitably loud and chaotic scene.
This movie offers us a glimpse into a different era. Indeed, an era when the times, they were a changin'. In the backdrop, we continually hear about events which helped to shape those times, particularly in terms of civil rights and the then quickly escalating war in Vietnam. Yet somehow, like in Mad Men, all of this remains in the background, as the movie focuses on Dylan and his life. The events merely serve as fuel which adds to the fire of Dylan's explosive musical talent.
We also catch a glimpse of the more complicated aspects of Dylan's personal life, which is often not quite as idyllic as the poetic lyrics, which he of course gained him his fame. We see someone who often seems, at best, not especially aloof or approachable, and who's personal relationships with others hardly matches the seemingly generous spirit which we glimpse in the lyrics of the music that he created, which of course had such a profound impact on so many.
Very glad to have finally seen this movie. Just don't use cheap airplane headphones like I did. It's worth it to see it perhaps on a bigger screen, but especially to see it when you can get the opportunity to hear the actual music better, since the music was of course the whole point.
Of course, highly recommended.
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