Timothée Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan in the new biopic “A Complete Unknown,” which has opened in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. Directed by James Mangold, the film follows Dylan’s meteoric rise to fame in 1960s New York City.
Critics have been divided in their response to the movie, with some praising Chalamet’s performance as Oscar-worthy and others finding it lacking. Leonard Maltin calls the film a “beautifully-crafted period piece” that will make viewers feel like they’re spending time with Dylan. However, Richard Roeper praises Chalamet’s performance saying he gives an “Oscar-worthy performance.”
On the other hand, some critics have found the film to be shallow and lacking in depth. Candice Frederick writes in her “rotten” review that the movie never feels like a biopic and is instead “subpar, reality-adjacent fan fiction.” Odie Henderson also panned the film, stating that it fails to flesh out its characters and delivers a lackluster performance from Chalamet.
The film has, however, received widespread critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 79% “fresh” rating based on 163 reviews. RT’s Popcornmeter also gave the film a 95% “fresh” rating based on over 250 reviews. With awards season contenders including Best Picture nominations for the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, as well as Best Actor nods for Chalamet, it seems that “A Complete Unknown” is one to watch in the coming months.
“A Complete Unknown” is rated R and opens in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/12/25/a-complete-unknown-reviews-are-critics-in-tune-with-bob-dylan-film