Who is Bob Dylan? Honestly, I can't think of a single Dylan song (unlike saying Elvis...which immediately puts several songs in my head)... So who is he? Can he be described in a paragraph or within the context of a 2+ hour film? Apparently not...and apparently it takes more than one actor to fully describe him (it takes 6).
Arthur (Whishaw) is being questioned about his life. Every time he is onscreen is is seen sitting at a table talking to the camera. He is always in black and white.
Jude (Blanchett) is a famous folk musician who has started incorporating electric guitars into his act. His fans feel betrayed, but he is tired of being seen as an ideal "People actually think I have some kind of a fantastic imagination. It gets very lonesome." He is always in black and white.
Woody (Franklin) is a boy on the run: traveling my riding trains with hobos, carrying only his guitar. He plays folk music.
Billy (Gere) is the oldest character, who lives with his dog Henry in the woods. He stands up stands up to the law, in a old west town. The stories of Billy and Woody have similar elements (watch them in the train).
Jack (Bale)'s story is told in documentary form, told by the people who knew him best. He was a popular folk musician. He laters converts to Christianity and becomes known as Pastor John.
Robbie (Ledger) is an actor, playing the part of Jack in a film. During the film he meets the woman of his dreams. Most of his story involves this relationship.
Overall, this is the kind of film you have to pay close attention to...it's a thinker! The stories interweave, and even within the context of a character the narrative is not presented in chronological order (you have to watch the whole film to get an overall sense of what is happening to each character). As I previously mentioned, I don't know anything about Bob Dylan. Perhaps if I did, this film would make more sense. Overall I think I understood the narrative (or what it was trying to convey).
Cate Blanchett was excellent, and worth all the buzz she received (I usually think she's a tad overrated, but she was good here). Blanchett and Ben Whishaw looked the most like Dylan (Christian Bale did in the later scenes). The story of Richard Gere didn't always fit into the rest of the film. And I do not understand why it was necessary to have the character of Alan Ginsberg (although I do love David Cross). It was also unclear who Coco (Michelle Williams) was, or why she was important to the narrative.
Overall, it was an experience...a confusing one. But I do love Bale and Ledger, so I think I would be willing to watch it again (or even learn about Dylan's life).
--: different from typical film biographies (like "Ray" or "Walk the Line") in that we never really see a Dylan who is gets involved in drugs but eventually pulls through. This is some disconnect between the characters and the man.
Rent it multiple times: once isn't enough. Beaware that it is long, and a tad talky. It is a good discussion film
I'm Not There (2007) 135 minutes
Rating: R for language, some sexuality and nudity
Director: Todd Haynes
Starring: Christian Bale as Jack / Pastor John
Cate Blanchett as Jude
Marcus Carl Franklin as Woody
Richard Gere as Billy
Heath Ledger as Robbie
Ben Whishaw as Arthur
Kris Kristofferson as Narrator
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