Rating of
4/4
A Multifaceted Gem
ourmanhero - wrote on 11/27/07
A true visual mosaic, this inventive and unconventional biopic weaves in and out of the stories that make up both Bob Dylan's mind and life. Todd Haynes directed and co-wrote this ambitious project as a meditation on the peerless singer-songwriter's (to say he transcends this label is a gross understatement) influences and exploits as they worked their way into his poetry and into our mythology. The essence of Dylan (his name is never mentioned in the film) is molded through six inter-cutting portrayals, each focused on a particular aspect of his evolution. A young African-American train-hopper, played impressively by an enthusiastic Marcus Carl Franklin, is Dylan's formative years, the Dylan reaching out for Woodie Guthrie and anguishing over his developing voice. Christian Bale is a rising folk singer who turns to religion; Heath Ledger, a film star whose celebrity flourishes at the expense of his personal life; Ben Whishaw, the poet whose musings frame the tale. Rounding out the ensemble are Richard Gere as a troublemaker in the West and a chillingly meticulous Cate Blanchett as the fiery, upstart musician rebel-without-a-cause from Pennebaker's documentary Don't Look Back. Each character lives in his own time, which is brought to life with care by the director, and suffers his own demons, only to come out the other side transformed. Not even comparable to the straight narrative depictions of Walk the Line and Ray, I'm Not There rather tries to put a finger on the artist's intangible spirit, and succeeds wondrously.
