ALL THE DETAILS OF 'A COMPLETE UNKNOWN' AS WE HEAD TO AWARDS SEASON

From Willy Wonka to Paul Atreides, Timothée Chalamet has taken on some pretty iconic roles in the past – but his latest film saw him take on his biggest name yet: the Dune actor embodied Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

Set in the downtown, NYC music scene of the 1960s, the film features a cast of young actors as now-famous musicians, trying to make it big.

And Chalamet took the project incredibly seriously in order to accurately portray one of the biggest names in music. Initially having four months to prepare, lockdowns and strikes instead gave the star five years to learn how to play the guitar, the harmonica and even sound eerily like the Knockin' on Heavens Door singer.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 29-year-old claimed he was now a "devoted disciple in the Church of Bob" and "to psychologically know I had pushed [the performance]".

This included writing out Dylan lyrics on sheets of paper and taping them to his walls, as well as singing and playing live in the film.

Unsurprisingly, Chalamet's commitment to the craft, as well as the almost universal praise the film received, has seen A Complete Unknown become a hot contender during awards season. It was nominated for three Golden Globes, as well as six BAFTA awards and is thought to be a hot ticket to receive nominations at the Oscars (although, it faces stiff competition from The Brutalist and Emilia Perez among others).

Here's everything you need to know about the film.

What is A Complete Unknown about?

The film follows "19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts — his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation — culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965."

The film is directed by James Mangold (the brains behind Walk the Line and Girl, Interrupted) who has suggested that Dylan himself has been instrumental in the plot. "This film has been a dream for almost five years now and I am thrilled to start shooting," Mangold said before production started. "I am also profoundly grateful for the support of Bob Dylan and Jeff Rosen [Dylan's longtime representative] in helping and me and the crew with their recollections, wisdom and access to their incredible archives."

Who stars in A Complete Unknown?

The lead role of Dylan is being taken by Chalamet, who certainly bears an uncanny resemblance to the star. Photographs taken during filming show Chalamet as Dylan being ushered into a 1960s-style car, away from adoring fans asking for the Like a Rolling Stone singer's autograph.

The star has also taken inspiration from Zendaya and Margot Robbie for 'method dressing', wearing some Dylan-inspired looks for premieres and press tours for the film.

Chalamet is joined in the film by Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton, who play fellow folk singers at the time, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger; Boyd Holbrook (who you might recognise from Narcos) plays legendary musician Johnny Cash. Actress Elle Fanning takes on a prominent role as Sylvie Russo, a thinly veiled version of Suze Rotolo, an artist and Dylan's longtime girlfriend. Photos have already emerged of the two filming in New Jersey, joking around on set.

Rotolo was a huge influence on Dylan's music; it was not until they met that Dylan's writing began to address issues such as the civil rights movement and the threat of nuclear war, for example. She went on to write a book – A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties – in which she described her time with Dylan and other figures in the folk music and bohemian scene in Greenwich Village.

When will A Complete Unknown be released?

A Complete Unknown was released in the UK on 17 January, three weeks after the US release date.

A Complete Unknown: reviews

Chalamet received rave reviews from critics for his take on Dylan, with The Guardian describing his performance as 'barnstorming', and says the star 'radiates insouciant charisma and channels the once-in-a-lifetime talent'.

Financial Times praised Chalamet's for his "brusque and bratty" Dylan, while The Telegraph hails A Complete Unknown as "completely riveting".

A Complete Unknown: Awards nominations

While landing three nominations (including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Drama Film), A Complete Unknown failed to pick up any gongs at the Golden Globes.

It has landed six BAFTA nods, (Best Actor, Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Casting), with the winners announced on 16 February.

Oscar nominations are yet to be announced, with the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles delaying the confirmed shortlist.

2025-01-21T14:05:56Z