Movies Reviewed: "A Complete Unknown" and "Nosferatu"

"A Complete Unknown" is the new Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothee Chalamet and Edward Norton, and written and directed by James Mangold. I'll admit, I was dreading it based on the trailer, but it turned out to be pretty good. The cinematography is nice, most of the acting is solid, and it's well paced. It does fall into cliche at times, but if you enjoy music biopics, they probably won't bother you too much.

The issues I had with the film didn't have much to do with the film at all, but rather a handful of outside references. Firstly, it's hard not to compare it to "Inside Llewyn Davis", a Cohen Brothers film starring Oscar Isaac (in his breakthrough performance) which was a brilliant film that followed a fictional contemporary of Dylan in the Greenwich Village music scene of the early 60's. James Mangold is a fine director, but he doesn't reach the highs of the Cohen Brothers, I'm afraid.

I also recently read the memoirs of Dave Van Ronk, who was a non-fictional contemporary of Bob Dylan (and who "Inside Llewyn Davis" is loosely based on). Van Ronk's memoir is a demystifying tome-- he brings all the big names of the Greenwich Village music scene down to Earth, and we see them as just a bunch of off-the-wall artists trying to get along as best they could. Dylan does appear in the memoirs, but isn't mythologized-- he comes off as another ambitious, creative hustler, albeit with an excess of talent. I adored this book, and I would love to see it adapted into a movie. "A Complete Unknown" isn't that movie, and that's not its fault. 

The other point of reference is that I'm part of a thriving (though much smaller) music scene along the Colorado Front Range. I've met a ton of interesting artists and experienced some truly sublime musical moments, but they were simultaneously smaller and more moving than anything in "A Complete Unknown". I can't relate to wild fame of the second half of the film, but the first half, when Dylan is working his way up, just didn't feel familiar to me. 

Ultimately, the movie fell into mythologizing its subject more than I would've liked. But it's hardly surprising that they'd take that approach with a personality as culturally pervasive as Bob Dylan. I suspect most people will enjoy this film. 

***

"Nosferatu", a film by Robert Eggers, is a fabulous updating of gothic horror movies like the original "Nosferatu" (1922) and "Dracula" (1931). So much of it harkens back to the German Expressionist movement, but it's done with all the production values of modern movie making. It's glorious! The story is operatic, and the actors chew the scenery with aplomb; Eggers' cinematic style is perfectly paired with such an over the top story. 

Eggers' films sometimes sacrifice pacing for artsiness, but that's not a problem here-- this movie is entertaining throughout. I wouldn't be surprise if it ends up being a breakout hit for the director, leading to opportunities with the big studios. That has ruined many a great indie film director, so let's enjoy Eggers while he's in the sweet spot. 

It also makes me a little worried for the future of the Dreamworks' attempt to revive the Dracula story with 2023's "The Last Voyage of the Demeter". That was a perfectly fine film-- very pretty, though not terribly exciting. "Nosferatu" is so much better while covering so much more territory, it could kill that franchise before it starts. Then again, if "Nosferatu" is a hit, it might supercharge their efforts. We'll just have to wait and see.

Whatever the case, it's a good time for classic horror.