In the midst of the folk music renaissance of 1960’s America, a mysterious young drifter arrives in town. With a guitar on his back he would electrify the entire music industry, for better or for worse.
Writer-director James Mangold (Walk the Line) turns the spotlight on Bob Dylan’s early years on the path to stardom as a setting for his portrayal of the musical legend. At the core of the story, amid side plots about musical mentors, fallings-in-love, and global political crises, lies Dylan’s desire to push his creative boundaries. But when Dylan commences his flirtation with rock music, his folk music audience thinks Icarus is flying too close to the sun.
The film’s successful execution rests primarily on the shoulders of Timothée Chalamet’s phenomenal performance as a young Dylan, as he skilfully channels Dylan’s vocals and style of playing without resorting to parody. Monica Barbaro’s Joan Baez alongside Chalamet’s Dylan makes for a softly captivating duo.
Dylan’s discography is an inexhaustible horn of plenty with hits and hidden gems enough for a multitude of films. Mangold’s unhurried direction gives these songs and performances the breathing room they deserve, to a degree unusual even for a musical film – allowing Dylan’s genius as a songwriter to shine and the viewer to enwrap themselves in the velvety embrace of the music.
Otto Kylmälä