When Timothée Chalamet signed up to portray legendary musician Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown,” he knew he was stepping into a challenging role. As set photos leaked online, criticisms and mockery from hardcore Dylan fans, or Dylanologists, flooded social media. Chalamet’s transformation into "Bob Dylan" was critiqued down to the minutest details, and one particular photo of the actor in a large scarf instantly turned into meme content.
Then, the trailer hit screens offering a tiny window into Mangold's visualization with Chalamet’s stirring performance of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”. This tiny sample saw the critics' cynical pessimism gradually turn into mindful hope. Following the trailer launch, Dylan experts worldwide shared their thoughts with Variety. Many praised Chalamet's dedication to the role and were surprised by his vocal capabilities in replicating Dylan's singing style.
The ever-present trepidation is acknowledged, but it is also understood that hardcore Dylan fans are not the core audience of “A Complete Unknown”. Instead, the movie has the potential to open up the world of Bob Dylan to a younger demographic, encouraging them to explore his music. As podcast host Erin Callahan succinctly remarked, the film will be great, regardless of its perceived quality.
Hope prevails that this film might provide an authentic representation of Dylan and his music instead of morphing into a Hollywood-styled rock biopic. There has been a mixed reception to every aspect of the film - from the physical resemblance of Chalamet to Dylan, portrayal of Dylan's mannerisms, voice mimicry, to staging and cinematography. Despite the nitpicking, there's a general consensus that the film could have been much worse.
In any case, whether being seen as a sleek, rigorously crafted biopic or a thrilling spectacle to ridicule, the film has undoubtedly succeeded in triggering avid anticipation and sparking intense debate among Dylan's fandom. Critics, fans, and everyone in between seem to have come to a single agreement - they will be queuing to watch the film as soon as it's released.
