I'm Not There - A-

In theaters. Rated R, 135 minutes. Trailer.

Bob Dylan is the one American celebrity that is aptly described by the phrase "the man, the myth, the legend." In I'm Not There, Writer/Director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine) has created a portrait of Dylan through a collage of the many personas and stages of Dylan's life and career. Each phase is acted out by a different actor with varying film styles, techniques, film stock and coloring for each persona. The result is a stylish and thought provoking film that is one of the best of the year.

I am a casual Dylan fan, far from the Dylan-ophile that Doctor is, and because of a disastrous 1997 Dylan/Paul Simon concert I attended (it wasn't all Dylan's fault -"Call Me Al" nearly caused me to jump off the balcony), my appreciation waned for a period and has picked up in recent years. While a healthy knowledge of Dylan isn't required to appreciate the quality of the movie, it certainly does enhance several of its aspects and themes. Click the link below for the rest of the review and lots of pictures.

This movie is 'different' and at times hard to keep track of - it 'felt' like a Rauschenberg painting...modern art, but with recognizable pieces that allow the themes of the work to come through. The characters are interspersed and intercut within each other, and a lack of cohesion is at first annoying but as the film progresses, it builds upon itself as the themes develop. The best way to review it is to start by taking each of the characters and analyzing their pieces of the puzzle. Scorsese's documentary about Dylan, No Direction Home, is a good companion piece to this film, viewed before I'm Not There.

First up is the Liar named Woody, played by 11 year old Marcus Carl Franklin. This is without question the weakest part of the film, aside from the scenes with the alternate Woody Guthrie. Franklin is ineffective and one-dimensional in his portrayal of the Vanilla Ice persona of Dylan; he makes up an interesting backstory to replace his real origins and bounces from place to place when the story runs out. This part of the Dylan mythology has always presented a chicken and egg situation for me...since he pulled a Vanilla Ice and was able to get away with it long enough (couldn't do that today) to establish himself as a 'genius' and 'voice of a generation', would the strength of his songs alone have been enough to propel him to his platform as the pinnacle of American counterculture. I'll let Doc comment on that, and surely object to the Dylan/Vanilla comparison.

Up next is the Icon, played by Christian Bale. This persona is the iconic early Dylan and the late Christian convert. Bale is effective in this take, which includes the shy and earnest Dylan coping with fame. The grainy film stock and wobbly camera work make it the most 'real' strand of the film. Bale's look and accent are not quite perfect, but they are reminiscent of him. Ben Whishaw portrays the evasive interviewee Dylan, in black and white newsreel type footage, most of which is based on actual interviews. This is only a small piece of the film.

Richard Gere plays the older drifter and reclusive Billy who is in hiding in the country. This is supposed to represent the older stages of Dylan's career, but it also touches on Dylan's hiding from the press who exposed his Vanilla Ice background and questioned his celebrity and influence. The scenes are dreamlike and interesting, complete with circus characters and giraffes. Heath Ledger plays the chauvinistic and ego driven Robby Cook, a Dylan hipster doppelganger. Some have criticized the performance, but I thought it was adequate and conveyed that facet of Dylan's persona effectively.

Saving the best for last, Cate Blanchett is Jude, the London era Dylan. This is the main piece of the film, and it is amazing. Cate's performance is the best of her career and maybe the best of the year, at least on par with Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh in No Country Old Men. Her voice, mannerisms and weariness all capture the cocksure mask that Dylan wore during the time period. The screenplay for this part of the film is also some of the best writing of the year, blending Dylan's actual words with those of Todd Haynes. Throughout the scenes, Jude deals with angry fans, an angry ex love (Michelle Williams as Coco, the Edie Sedgwick substitute), and an excessively incisive BBC reporter (Bruce Greenwood) that questions everything about him. David Cross (Tobias Funke) is an ethereal Alan Ginsberg who hangs with Blanchett for a time, including a brilliant sequence looking up at a crucifix as if it were on a stage and heckling it, saying things like "Play your early stuff."

With each day that has passed since I saw this, I have liked it more. The best part about the movie is its absolute rejection of just about every movie convention. I need to see it again to fully appreciate it. For me it is an A-, but I could support others giving it a full A. The film works on multiple levels. The obvious level is the portrait of an elusive American icon that has refused to be defined over his 45 year career. The other level is a deconstruction of any person, as we all change over the years and have competing lives and desires within ourselves.

The soundtrack to the film is amazing, blending Dylan's songs, as performed by him, and interpretations of the songs. The song list will be included on the comments. Go here to hear a sampling.

Viewer note: I have seen the Juno preview about 12 times, and its threatening to ruin the movie. If they're going to run it in front of every single independent film, they should at least cut a second trailer. On a Saturday night only about 5 other people were in the 10:00 showing of this film....doesn't bode well for the box office take. This was nominated today for an Independent Spirit award.

Below are pictures of the booklet they handed me on my way into the screening: