‘A Complete Unknown’, starring a transformed Timothy Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan, is the latest biopic to play with the form. Rather than a biography told from birth to death, or in the case of Dylan, birth to his current status as an always evolving troubadour, James Mangold’s film captures a key moment in the artist’s career. Some modern takes in this movie genre have used a similar structure but then flashback to formative moments, but not here. This film chronologically tracks the moment Dylan arrives in NYC up through his rejection of the folk scene, going electric at Newport in ‘65. Just like the title conveys, the genius singer/songwriter enters and exits this story as an enigma, his motivations known only to him, but in the end it really is just all about the music and it’s really pretty great.

Normally a film like this might be considered a “jukebox” production, especially here where the actual drama is pretty scarce. There’s really no comeuppance for Dylan’s bad behavior, and the love triangle presented here is more like a love “gazing” from the women he encounters in this early part of his career. Thankfully, director Mangold, who can be interested in the more dramatic aspects of a person’s life (see ‘Walk the Line’), understands that with Dylan it’s more interesting to see him react to what’s around him. His seemingly laissez fare attitude belies the incredible amount of effort and drive he has regarding his lyrics and songwriting.

Chalamet rightfully centers with a performance for the ages, but he’s also surrounded by performers who joined him in going the extra method mile. There have been stories of the actor practicing Dylan’s style of guitar, piano, and nasal rasp on the set of ‘Dune: Part Two‘. His hard work and dedication really come through in a stunning showcase that has the audience believing him as the future Nobel Prize Winner. On display are all the mumbles, grumbles, and non sequiturs one would expect, but Chalamet embodies the whole vibe of Dylan at this time, well beyond the look (probably only Cate Blanchett came as close for her “FAME” segment of Todd Haynes’ “I’m Not There’). From the inscrutable yet determined cool of the 20 year old hitching a ride from NJ to The Village, to the petulant budding young star who refuses to do what’s expected of him, there isn’t a false beat throughout. The cast around him came to play as well, especially Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez who somehow captures the beautiful one-of-a-kind voice of the era’s queen. Edward Norton totally inhabits the gentle style and folk-music-first focus of Pete Seeger in a pivotal role as Dylan’s initial champion. He’s so good, one can understand his pained conflict as the young man begins to eclipse those who helped get him started.

While it’s obvious now that Bob Dylan was never meant to be constrained by the niche downtown clubs of the early sixties, it’s also easy to admire what these talented people were trying to do. They thrived on bringing attention to the repressed, emoting on stage at a time of the British Invasion and the dominance of rock and roll on the air. ‘A Complete Unknown’ is effective at clearly representing this unique moment in time and place. The movie also excels at featuring Dylan’s incredible songs, so familiar, yet presented here over this backdrop, they somehow resonate even more. The sound design is palpable, made even more amazing by the fact that it’s really these actors performing. In the end, leave it to Chalamet to draw in a younger generation with his inhabitance of the man. His take illustrates all the reasons why Dylan transcended then, still resonates to this day, and undoubtedly will for generations to come . . .

Directed By: James Mangold

Written By: James Mangold & Jay Cocks

Rated: R

Running Time: 141 min.

* * * 1/2 (out of four stars) -OR- A-