UPDATE: You can’t make this up. Soon after publishing this piece, Daniel Richtman is now adding his own tea. He’s heard very similar things to what I had posted previously.
There was a test screening recently and heard, from multiple people, that the movie is “just okay.” It had some problems. Mainly, that it’s too long. Edward Norton’s performance is the standout.
EARLIER: It’s taken me a week to assemble some kind of writeup on this. I’ve now spoken to three people who saw James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown,” and the reactions so far are not that great.
It sounds like the film, which was screened as a “work in progress,” focused too heavily on Dylan’s relationship with Sylvie (Elle Fanning). Timothee Chalamet is said to be “fine” in the role of Dylan.
“A Complete Unknown” taps into the folk scene of the early 60s and Dylan’s rising stardom, and although Chalamet nails the quirks and mannerisms of Dylan, he “doesn’t nail the soul searching” of the iconic singer.
The biopic is also said to be overlong — the work in progress is almost 2 and a half hours. There is obviously lots of time for Mangold to shape his film, and it will no doubt be shortened in the coming months leading to its late year release.
Mangold’s biopic started production in March and wrapped up its shoot in May. A very quick turnaround, and it’s now being rushed for Christmas Day release.
A trailer was released last month for the film. The cast is starry: Chalamet playing Dylan, Edward Norton (Pete Seeger), Elle Fanning (Suze Rotolo), Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) and Nick Offerman (Alan Lomax) and Boyd Holbrook (Johnny Cash).
Mangold (“Ford V Ferrari,” “Logan”) has described “A Complete Unknown” as “Altman-esque, an ensemble piece” that will involve a mosaic of artists such as Guthrie, Baez, Cash and Seeger. Former film critic Jay Cocks wrote the script. He’s only written five films in 30 years, including “The Age of Innocence,” “Silence,” “Gangs of New York,” and “Strange Days.”