Timothée Chalamet is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. The young actor had some small parts in movies and television shows, like Royal Pains. He then hit his big break playing Elio in the 2017 movie, Call Me by Your Name. Timothée then went on to tackle the difficult role of Nic in the heart rendering drama Beautiful Boy, then he played Paul in the Dune franchise. Most recently he was cast to portray Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.
Timothée Chalamet Channels Bob Dylan
A Complete Unknown, which is taken from the lyric of Bob Dylan‘s famous song, “Like a Rolling Stone,” starts off with a young Bob Dylan traveling from Minnesota to New York. Once there, he is mentored by singer, Pete Seeger, played by Edward Norton. Dylan makes inroads with the folk community, his idol, Woody Guthrie, and meets more musicians, including Joan Baez. Baez is played by Monica Babaro.
The film follows Bob Dylan’s early years, from his relative obscurity in the music industry to his performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. It chronicles his relationships with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and Joan Baez. Russo’s character was based on Suze Rotolo, Dylan‘s real life girlfriend at the time.
We see Timothée Chalamet show Bob Dylan‘s challenges as he tries to navigate in the music world, particularly with folk musicians, amidst political issues in the early 1960s. Dylan, who is known for his observant and poignant lyrics, often vacillates between activism and his music. Chalamet does an amazing job showing the struggle of Bob Dylan’s direction in music. At one point he receives pressure to stick with his better known songs, but as an inspired writer, Dylan continues to pen his politically charged lyrics.
A Complete Unknown Soundtrack That’s Well Known
Ah yes – the soundtrack for this film is sublime if you’re a Dylan fan. Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, and Monica Barbaro all performed their own singing. The soundtrack features dozens of Bob Dylan songs, Woody Guthrie songs, and a sprinkling of songs from that time.
Some of Timothée Chalamet standout performances in A Complete Unknown are “The Times They Are a-Changin” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” His duets with Baez (Barbaro) are remarkable. Chalamet spent several years prepping on guitar and perfecting his harmonica skills to portray Bob Dylan.
In Conclusion
Both viewers and critics have agreed that Timothée Chalamet‘s performance in A Complete Unknown has done complete justice to Bob Dylan. Even Dylan himself, who is reclusive from social media, praised Chalamet‘s work. It is a worthwhile watch, especially if you’re a folk music fan.
