@stanyanfan49.bsky.social Hello Roy. Did you catch up with the 'A Complete Unknown' film yet? I watched the first 40 minutes or so last night. Stopped there because my friend said he could take no more while I was erring on the side of morbid fascination. Same question to @michaelgray1.bsky.social - ThreadSky

realjohncarvill.bsky.social • 70 days ago

@stanyanfan49.bsky.social Hello Roy. Did you catch up with the 'A Complete Unknown' film yet? I watched the first 40 minutes or so last night. Stopped there because my friend said he could take no more while I was erring on the side of morbid fascination. Same question to @michaelgray1.bsky.social

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michaelgray1.bsky.social•70 days ago

Haven't managed to see it yet. I want to see it on the big screen, and when it finally reached this part of rural France it didn't start till almost my bedtime.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

Understandable (about the big screen and the bedtime). I wanted to persevere last night, if only to give the film a fair viewing, but my mate (a Dylan fan) just couldn't take any more. All I can say is it's far worse than I expected. And I expected crap. Oscars await...

michaelgray1.bsky.social•70 days ago

Very much a minority opinion then John. (No novelty there for you then...)

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

I take comfort in that.

stanyanfan49.bsky.social•70 days ago

Well all bio pics are a way of saying realty is bad enough, why must we tell the truth. And Mangold made his fable rather than documentary ambitions clear. So I knew what to expect and not to indulge the snobby and sniffy me and see what they’d made. And did enjoy it. All the performances are good.

stanyanfan49.bsky.social•70 days ago

And you can’t help but be moved by the songs if they’ve been important in your life for a long time. Of course it’s full of wrong things, and Pete Seeger didn’t do this, and Johnny Cash never did that, but there are great moving moments, and Chalamet’s expressions while singing are in most of them.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

Interesting. For me, once you throw away the original music you’re already on the back foot. Taken in isolation, it’s impressive that TC has been able to learn to sing and play like that. But what it’s not is like Dylan in any way beyond impersonation. Acting wise I couldn’t buy him as Bob.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

Final comment! I do see this film pulling in people who hadn't discovered Dylan before and - snobbery about johnny-come-latelys notwithstanding - that has to be a good thing. And the film is not evil, it doesn't hate or want to kill its subject like, say, 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'.

stanyanfan49.bsky.social•70 days ago

The thing is if you want real Bob there are documentaries. If you go to this you have to accept what it’s doing and look for the things to enjoy. And despite various demurs there are lots.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

Sure. I feel it would have been better to limit the TC versions of Dylan songs to snippets. Making us endure entire songs in that form, it's a big ask. And really, the performances are impressive as impersonations, but as music they're terrible. 'Attitude' link doesn't work btw, was that a dig?

stanyanfan49.bsky.social•70 days ago

No, no dig. And to be honest I’ve no idea how that link got there. Not something I did or recognise. Bizarre.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

Cool. Glad about that. Too much abrasion in this world as it is. Peace.

realjohncarvill.bsky.social•70 days ago

The external set designs are impressive: must have cost a lot. But overall it seemed like they’d filmed the story as though Bob Dylan were a character in the Marvel universe. Not a single second rang true. Suspension of belief was impossible. I still predict Oscar action though.

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