I'm Not There (2007)

Average rating

(57%)

Starring:	Marcus Carl Franklin \| Christian Bale \| Ben Whishaw \| Bruce Greenwood \| Garth Giker \| David Cross \| Julianne Moore \| Cate Blanchett \| Richard Gere \| Michelle Williams \| Heath Ledger
Director:	Todd Haynes
Studio:	PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time:	131 mins
Collections:	100 Most Wanted
Genres:	Drama \| Music/Musical
Languages:	English
Released:	July 14, 2008
Also available on:

Todd Haynes (VELVET GOLDMINE, FAR FROM HEAVEN) delivers this dazzling, experimental take on the life of popular music's most revered and enigmatic artist: Bob Dylan. In keeping with the impossible-to-pin-down nature of Dylan himself, Haynes chose to cast six different actors to portray several incarnations of the groundbreaking troubadour. The result is a challenging, sprawling work that spans several decades and genres. Woody (Marcus Carl Franklin) is a young black child with a folk music obsession; Jack Rollins (Christian Bale) is an upstart folksinger whose protest songs have ignited an entire generation; Arthur (Ben Wishaw) is a Rimbaud-esque figure who has begun to embrace a new form of lyrical poetry; Robbie (Heath Ledger) is a well-known actor whose marriage to the lovely Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) crumbles under the weight of his lifestyle; Billy (Richard Gere) is a slippery frontiersman who echoes Dylan's infatuation with the Old West and American folklore; and, finally, there is the substance-abusing, confrontational Jude (Cate Blanchett), who represents Dylan in the turbulent mid-1960s.

Much in the same way that Dylan appropriated a vast array of musical styles to create his own vernacular, Haynes does the same thing with I'M NOT THERE, using his expansive knowledge of movie history to pay homage to a variety of movements and genres (Godard, Fellini, Lester, etc.). The typically extraordinary cinematographer Edward Lachman outdoes even himself this time around, incorporating so many different visual styles that it's impossible to decide which is the most beautiful. While the cast all fare well in their roles, it is Cate Blanchett who runs away with the picture, proving once again that she is one of the finest actors the movies have ever seen.

Variety

Stylistically audacious in the way it employs six different actors and assorted visual styles to depict various aspects of the troubadour's life and career, the film nevertheless lacks a narrative and a center, much like the 'ghost' at its core

Highest rated reviews

25 out of 31 people found the following review helpful:

Can I give it less than zero stars?

fuckfuckfuckfuck from , 1st January, 2008

The awfulness of this film had me wincing and pushing back into my seat to escape the screen. I had such high expectations and am such a Dylan fan that I tried so hard to cut the film some slack and find some good aspects but this was impossible. The brilliance of Dylan's songs threw into sharp relief the leaden artifice of the film. The 'arty' aspects of the film were bewilderingly half arsed and what remained was a biopic of profound mundanity far exceeding the pleasant level of mundanity that the genre necessitates. I will never watch a second of Todd Haynes work after this diabolical experience.

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8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

elusive

Roland from , 28th December, 2007

This film is as elusive as the title and the subject promise. As an echo of Dylan this film delivers poetically but if you come looking for a revealing biopic turn back now. This film is not generous. It expects you to be something of a dylanophile. It also expects you to be an active responsive viewer. It might be fair to say though that it doesn't bring much new to the table. If you've heard all the albums, read the books and seen to documentaries this is a very enjoyable telling of a tale you're already familiar with.

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Most recent reviews

where's the story, morning glory...

A Customer from london, 25th August, 2008

I am a big Dylan fan and had trouble working out who was who in this film, plus the scenes skip randomly between different periods in his life with no noticeable reason for doing so. The only thing I can say is that this film maybe reflects the chaos of Dylan's life, as it certainly left me (who knows a lot about Dylan) and my wife (who knows very little about Dylan) equally confused as to what was going on for most of the film. If it confuses a fan and a non-fan equally I'd question what the film was trying to achieve in the first place.... Good cast, good music - mildly entertaining to watch in places. This gets it one star from me. If you want a proper insight into at least one period of Dylan's life, rent 'Don't Look Back' by D.A. Pennebaker instead (in fact you'll find most of the memorable scenes and quotes that are re-created in this film are there, and you'll see them in their original context...).

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