'A Complete Unknown' Offers More Than Just Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
Being a supporting act is no walk in the park. Positioned lower on the billing, you're pouring your heart into a performance, fully aware that you're not the headliner. Yet, if you play your hand wisely, there's a chance you might just outshine the leading star.
James Mangold's Bob Dylan biopic, "A Complete Unknown," boasts Timothée Chalamet as its luminous lead, yet his brilliance doesn’t overshadow the stellar supporting ensemble that ranks among the year's finest.
While honoring Dylan’s otherworldly prowess, Mangold meticulously illustrates that Dylan didn’t burst onto the folk scene fully crafted, nor did he exist in a vacuum. The narrative is enriched with a gallery of '60s musical legends, featuring everyone from renowned session musicians to Dylan's correspondent, the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, portrayed with charm by Boyd Holbrook.
Two notable figures in Dylan's journey are his mentor Pete Seeger, depicted by Edward Norton, and his muse and collaborator Joan Baez, brought to life by Monica Barbaro. Both were established icons in the folk realm when the young Minnesotan, formerly Robert Zimmerman, arrived in New York in January 1961, eager to ignite his career. They witnessed Dylan’s star rise to eclipse their own, before he audaciously embraced electric music at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
Seeger welcomes Chalamet’s Dylan into his abode, securing his debut performance and thus unleashing his gifts upon the world. Norton, perhaps cast against the grain, imbues Seeger with warmth and integrity, embodying the artist and humanitarian who passed in 2014, and who famously stood against the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955, refusing to betray his peers.
“I cherished every moment in Pete Seeger’s orbit, his ascetic world, and his music. It was an honor,” Norton expressed to CNN. “When you converse with those who knew him, the lingering admiration is deeply moving.”
In the film, Dylan swiftly encounters Baez, "the first lady of folk," already commanding sold-out venues. Barbaro, a revelation in “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), whose prowess is affirmed here, reached out to the 83-year-old Baez during her preparation. “I wasn’t sure what I was seeking, but dreams of speaking with her haunted me,” she confided to CNN.
“It felt inherently Joan to boldly make contact,” she elaborated. “Imagining speaking with an actress portraying you must be surreal, yet she remained unfazed, which in turn eased my nerves.”
“The following day, I felt liberated,” she added. “That was my inaugural live audience performance. I did a take, and Jim (Mangold) suggested, ‘Enjoy it more.’ It was the first time I truly embraced the process.”
Mangold's film chronicles Dylan’s initial five years, crisscrossing the US, with New Jersey locations doubling for iconic venues like The Gaslight Café and Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as Monterey, California, and Newport, Rhode Island. Driven in part by Chalamet's extensive preparations to embody Dylan, the production demanded live performances with period instruments, at times utilizing up to 30 microphones. (A live recording album will accompany the film's US release.)
Surprisingly, Barbaro admitted she had “no singing background” prior to joining the project. Baez’s rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” was “undoubtedly the most daunting,” Barbaro shared. Performed intimately before record executives, with Dylan in the shadows, quick to commend, “it’s the first instance you hear her voice,” Barbaro added. “The piece is slow and challenging to vocalize. I aimed for an immediate recognizable portrayal of Joan, feeling immense pressure.”
She found freedom in “It Ain’t Me Babe,” a personal favorite performed with Chalamet, recreating Dylan and Baez’s 1964 Newport Folk Festival duet: “Limited takes, but electric. The song’s lively tempo and emotional depth between the two characters were pivotal in that scene.”
Norton faced the challenge of embodying Seeger, a “banjo virtuoso,” he described. “Footage of Seeger playing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ on banjo is awe-inspiring. He was a musical powerhouse.”
“I’ve strummed a guitar for ages, so I’m not unfamiliar with intricate finger movements,” he explained. Yet, to mirror Seeger? Impossible. “Reaching his level is a pipe dream. You must cleverly find ways to emulate it, dedicating months to perfect a single solo, making it appear effortless.”
An area Norton didn’t need to develop was his rapport with Chalamet. “We had a fitting relationship,” he stated. “Having known Timothée for some time” – they shared the screen in Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” in 2021 – “he holds me in high esteem, making the Pete-Bob dynamic natural.”
“We avoided over-rehearsing, opting for spontaneity in scenes,” he shared. “I thrived on it.”
Both actors lavished praise on their lead. “I previewed some of Chalamet’s studio pre-recordings and was amazed at how closely he nailed Dylan's voice,” Barbaro said. “During rehearsals and filming, my trust in his contributions was absolute.”
“I can’t overstate Timothée’s impact,” Norton declared. “He guided us, instantly fostering a focused atmosphere. Despite his star stature, visitors on set were minimal. His discipline surpassed mine, enabling us to fully immerse in the illusion, elevating us collectively.”
“During the shoot, it didn’t feel like merely interacting with Timothée.”
“Tackling Bob Dylan is a daring endeavor. It’s a precarious role with countless pitfalls. His achievement is remarkable.”
“A Complete Unknown” hits US theaters on December 25 and UK screens on January 17.
