“A Complete Unknown” isn’t just a title. It’s also an excuse. James Mangold’s biopic about Bob Dylan’s early career treats the Pulitzer Prize-winning musician like a riddle wrapped in an enigma, a mystery nobody can unlock. But if we didn’t want to learn about Bob Dylan we could have stayed home. All Mangold’s film offers is a superficial illustration of the artist’s allure, interspersed with endless, increasingly comical shots of people watching him perform and smiling beatifically.
I get it, because that’s how we probably look watching Timotheé Chalamet knock this one out of heaven’s door. Chalamet continues his streak of uncanny performances, with a bravura versatility that might be annoying if it wasn’t so impressive.