Every week, Kristopher Pollard from Milwaukee Film and Radio Milwaukee’s Dori Zori talk about movies — because that’s what you do when you’re Cinebuds.
Off the top, yes, we realize there is only one Tim of note in A Complete Unknown: Timothée Chalamet in the role of Bob Dylan. That isn’t to diminish the important contributions of set dressing foreman Timothy Joliat or transportation captain Timothy Paustian or dialect coach Tim Monich. They were all integral to the production in their respective roles, and we applaud their efforts.
But, even before the casting was announced, we knew the success or failure of this film would hinge on the performance of the actor at its center. Ultimately, that task fell on the physically slight but thespian-ly broad shoulders of Chalamet, who in the past few years has established himself as one of the more reliably solid actors in Hollywood.
From a breakout performance in Call Me by Your Name to the excellent Dune movies to the adequate Wonka, Chalamet consistently rises to meet the challenge in front of him.
While vastly different films, Dune and A Complete Unknown presented a similar task: Fully embody a character with a rabid fan base ready to tear you apart if you set a foot wrong. As a result, Chalamet finds himself at the center of the critical discussion around the Bob Dylan biopic — as well as the discussion you’ll hear in this episode.
The movie doesn’t come out until Christmas Day, but Dori and Kpolly managed to secure one seat at an advanced screening and — in the spirit of the season — gifted it to someone perfectly suited to cast a critical eye (and ear) toward the screen.
Sam Taffel, in addition to earning a master’s degree in film, is a huge Dylan fan from a family of Dylan fans who grew up in New York City, the setting for most of A Complete Unknown. You’ll hear him lay out his bona fides at the top of the podcast before he launches into his well-informed review of director James Mangold’s film.
We, of course, want you to listen to the full episode but will reveal that the headline above nods to what Chalamet had to accomplish in A Complete Unknown. Elevating a biopic means the actor has to disappear into the character. Taffel admittedly went into the screening with his guard up and acknowledges that Chalamet never completely broke through it and doesn’t quite “become” the music legend.
That’s not to say Chalamet doesn’t transform. He adopts the mannerisms, the distinct speaking voice and the even more distinct singing voice. As Taffel notes, the performance leans toward an impression — and that’s probably more than fine for a general audience. Dylan fans will probably feel different.
You can hear Taffel’s very well-thought-out review of A Complete Unknown via the player at the top of the page or wherever you find your podcasts. You'll also hear a little something about winning tickets to see the biopic, but bear in mind this episode was recorded a few weeks ago, so if you want to see the film, you'll have to do it on your own dime.
