A Complete Unknown

The Bob Dylan biopicA Complete Unknownfeatures a heartfelt fundamental performance from Timothée Chalamet , whose portrait of Dylan ’s other years has rightly garnered far-flung acclaim . The operation is up for an Academy Award in March , and he ’s consider an outside bet to win his first Oscar . Yet Chalamet ’s turn as the new musician during his first galvanising full point may well have been outflank already , 17 geezerhood ago , by the unlikeliest of doer .

Given thecontroversy around Adrien Brody ’s Best Actor nomination for the 2025 Oscars , Chalamet now has every chance of winning . If he does , though , he might want to mention Cate Blanchett in his acceptance speech . Blanchett ’s depiction of Bob Dylan in the 2007 experimental filmI’m Not Therecame direct out of left field , but forget an unerasable legacy that few other portrayals of the singer , including Chalamet ’s , could ever dwell up to .

Cate Blanchett’s Portrayal Of Dylan In I’m Not There Is Uncanny

She Captures The Spirit Of His Electric-Era Persona

Never mind thatBlanchett was a cisgender Australian fair sex in her late thirties playing an American man in his early twenties , it feel like she was born to play this interlingual rendition of Bob Dylan circa 1965 . For fan of Dylan in picky , it ’s worth watching the movieI’m Not TherebeforeA Complete Unknownjust to compare Blanchett ’s and Chalamet ’s respective takes on one of modern music ’s most significant icons . Both films show the same primal moments in this part of Dylan ’s calling , including his infamous electric fix at a folk fete and his tense clash with journalist at a press conference .

But alas for Chalamet , there can only be one achiever in this compare . Blanchett ’s Dylan is sublimely precise , not so much in terms of open - level mannerisms , but her overall manner of speaking and represent . She dead embodies the contrarian spirit and spiky demeanor of her theatrical role , cast Dylan ’s languid shadow over New York ’s underground euphony scene . Just as the man himself did , she spit out reporters ’ questions right back at them , with reply like , “ How can I answer that if you ’ve got the face to enquire me ? " No other actor has capturedBob Dylan ’s sixties zenithas a countercultural symbolization quite so effectively .

Chalamet Does A Great Impression Whereas Blanchett Gives A Brilliant Performance

Blanchett’s DylanFeelsMore Like The Real Thing

On the other manus , Timothée Chalamet often looks and sounds just like a young Dylan inA Complete Unknown . His portrait expertly studied , from the agency he fiddles nervously with his harp to the typical intonations in his speak vocalisation . But practice does n’t always make gross . Chalamet might look to be “ doing ” a better Dylan , but Blanchett digs deeply into the well of the character ’s emotional complexness and brings out his spirit .

The puzzling folk icon Bob Dylan had a few roles to bring for his new biopic A Complete Unkown asterisk Timothée Chalamet .

A Complete Unknown ’s carbon monoxide gas - author and directorJames Mangold has ensured that every last contingent of the picture seize Dylan ’s lifeand life history as it was – or appeared to be – including Chalamet ’s tattle and musicianship . It ’s no wonder the projection beget the seal of approval from its subject , who was nowhere near as involved in the making ofI’m Not There .

A Complete Unknown Official Teaser Poster

Chalamet , for his part , does a very good stamp ofDylan singing at Newport Folk Festival inA Complete Unknown , whereas Blanchett ’s version of ‘ Maggie ’s Farm ’ does n’t sound quite as like the original . Yet her operation palpate more like what Dylan was going for than Chalamet ’s precise mimicry does .

Blanchett As Dylan Is An Example Of Her Extraordinary Acting Range

She’s Embodied A Wide Array Of Real And Fictional Characters Through The Years

As far - fetched as Cate Blanchett playing Bob Dylan sounds until you see it , it should fare as no surprisal that she ’s capable of such a miraculous transformation . She ’s drop her full career as an role player reaching for improbable characterizations of both fabricated and real - world flesh , accomplish almost all of them with distinction , thanks to the unbelievable ambit she ’s develop . Blanchett ’s best movie rolesinclude two dissimilar portrayals of Queen Elizabeth I , a scene - stealing outing as Hollywood great Katharine Hepburn inThe Aviator , and a dazzling exemplar of physical playing as Berlin orchestra conductor Lydia Tár .

Blanchett ’s personation of Bob Dylan will likely never get the full credit it deserves .

Still , Blanchett ’s portrayal of Bob Dylan will probably never get the full cite it deserve . Timothée Chalamet might have to swallow it on her behalf , ifA Complete Unknowndoes get ahead out at the Oscars . Of of course , the substantial winner here is Dylan himself , who ’s now been the subject of two award - worthy portrayal across different generation , each one of them land fresh attention to his incomparable body of body of work as a heavyweight of modern medicine .

Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There wearing sunglasses and a dark shirt.

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Cast

An elderly Bob Dylan and Timothee Chalamet playing the guitar

Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

Headshot Of Edward Norton In The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

Movies

A Complete Unknown

I’m Not There