I'm Not There (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Christian Bale, David Cross, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard Gere, Bruce GreenwoodDirector: Todd Haynes
Studio: Weinstein Company
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 135 minutes
DVD Release: May 6th 2008
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DVD Review
Inspired by the life and songs of Bob Dylan, I'm Not There is "a profoundly personal and passionate film" (A.O. Scott, The New York Times) that captures the essence of this elusive genius. Six different actors -- including Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere and OscarŽ nominee Cate Blanchett in a "soon-to-be-legendary performance" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) - each embody part of the Dylan legend: from Greenwich Village folk singer to electric guitar trailblazer to born-again preacher. Directed by Academy AwardŽ-nominated writer/director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven), I'm Not There is "unquestionably the year's most original American movie" (Thelma Adams, US Weekly).
User Reviews
Five Stars for Cate Blanchett - Rating: 5/5
Let me tell you about the way she looked, the way she acted and the color of her hair: Cate Blanchett makes an exceptional Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There." Todd Haynes' movie probably offers more to satisfy (or infuriate) a true Dylan fan than to an average video viewer such as me. It's definitely an "interesting" movie -- but not quite interesting enough to keep the old eyelids from growing heavy and the head from bobbing if viewed close to bedtime. Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Ben Whishaw and Marcus Carl Franklin all play Dylan-inspired characters. More than a traditional biopic, the movie is a highly original way of looking at the various stages of a single creative life: how a performer can create and then abandon certain styles and personas, the relationship between the artist and the "characters" he either plays or chronicles -- and equally important, the way the artist's fans respond to the choices he (or she) makes. It's "interesting" throughout. But when Cate Blanchett shows up, the Dylan pic goes electric.
Not Conventional But I Still Loved It - Rating: 5/5
I love this film. It's a difficult film to grasp if you have a preconceived idea of what a biopic should be like, but I love the concept and I thought the actors did a great job. The music is great, of course and Cate's Jude Quinn is an amazing performance. The Richard Gere segment was the only weak part of the film in that it was too long and difficult to understand but in general I had no trouble "getting" the ideas driving the how the film unfolds.
When the film first came out at least one reviewer said only a die-hard Dylan fan could truly appreciate it. That review is wrong. When I saw this film I knew almost nothing about Dylan. Sure, I knew he was a legend and I knew a handful of his songs but that was it. This film made me want to see what the real Dylan was like (I started by watching excerpts from the 1965 press conference in San Francisco) and now I'm a huge fan. I have been leisurely exploring albums, documentaries, books, etc. about and by Dylan for the last six months and I'm having such a wonderful time! There is no doubt that this exploration will go on for the rest of my life. I feel like I'm sitting at a giant banquet savoring each marvelous dish.
I'm 43 years old and while I'm late to the party and haven't followed Dylan like many lifelong fans can claim, that doesn't make my enthusiasm or the time I put into learning about Dylan any less important. This film was the start of it all for me, but I don't think there are many people who would have a reaction like I'm having. I do hope you will see this film and keep an open mind.
Brilliant... and Inspired - Rating: 4/5
A film as wily and elusive as Dylan himself. Disjointed, deconstructed, and dispersed, it nonetheless paints as accurate a picture as we will ever get of the man.
fun but not for people who want cause and effect - Rating: 5/5
there are threads that connect the multiple versions of Dylan here. but if you're the kind of person who wants a movie to make sense, just move on. If you're in the mood for a movie that is great to look at, filled with some good (and some bad) covers, and has some great acting (thankfully Christian Bale doesn't speak too much).
Basically, this is a movie that's not for everyone. And it doesn't make you stupid if you don't enjoy it. But I will say this -- you don't need to know much about Dylan to like it. My wife knows some of his music, but nothing of his biography and she really enjoyed it.
There is too much genius here for it to be so uneven... - Rating: 4/5
I chuck a lot of my confusion with this film up to the fact that I am not really all that familiar with Bob Dylan's music. In fact, it wasn't his name that drew me to this film; it was the conceptual design of director Todd Haynes, a man that I have come to respect and admire as an artist. Knowing that the film is inspired, not by Dylan's life but by his music has led me to believe that until I really sit down and listen to the man's body of work my perception of this film will continue to be rather cloudy.
So, if you are not familiar with Dylan then maybe you'll want to skip this one.
Conceptually I feel that this film is pure genius. Haynes idea behind capturing Dylan's life through interpretations of his music is just beyond original; and casting six (seven if you consider Kris Kristofferson's narrative another `Dylan') actors to portray the man in the many forms of his persona was yet another stroke of genius. This is where my frustration lies with the film though, because it really should have been brilliant and yet, when all is said and done, it feels incomplete.
Shuffling our attention from actor to actor, establishing storyline upon storyline, the film fails to establish a cognitive theme; a cohesive line of thought to act as some connective tissue, tying the whole film together. Instead it comes off as a series of short films played back to back, at times even weaving in and out of one another. It hurts me to think that this put a damper on the film, because it is this very uniqueness that sets this apart from all the other biopic films out there, the Walk the Line's and the Ray's. The fact remains though, that because of the films lack of structure it leaves the audience even more confused about just who this man really was then we were before we ever sat down to watch it. Sure, like I mentioned, this is more a story about his music than a story about the man himself, but we should gather some insight as to who he was as an artist, and I feel that we don't get that when `I'm Not There' is finished.
There are so many good things about this movie though, so that is why I'm torn as to my true feelings on the film as a whole. The acting across the board is sensational. Cate Blanchett truly deserved that Oscar nomination, for her portrayal of Jude is as riveting as they come. She completely embodies this man, fully immersing into her character to create something real, something pure. I remember when Billy Bush (what an idiot) cracked on her for winning the Golden Globe, saying that her performance was all gimmick because she was a `woman playing a man'. Hey, I have been one to call out actors for playing gimmicks before (Tom Hanks anyone) but this is so much more than just a one-note, gimmicky performance. She transcends gimmick, adding layer upon layer to her character. She is not the only great performance here though. In fact, everyone that plays a variation of Dylan is superb, especially Marcus Carl Franklin and Heath Ledger. Michelle Williams and Charlotte Gainsbourg are also outstanding as woman in and around this man at some point in his career (both playing fictitious characters inspired by real acquaintances).
Like I said, the film is a conceptual marvel. Not just the idea behind the script, but the idea behind the vignettes (can we call them that?) is also outstanding. Todd Haynes creates differing moods inspired by other directory marvels for each of his storylines, borrowing from Fellini and Godard and Peckinpah, lending each character his own world to dwell in. Every facet of this film is primed and ready for greatness, so it kills me that this film did not mesh together as well as it should have. Quite honestly, with how excited I am about this film in parts you'd think that it was my favorite film of 2007, and really, it should have been.
Sadly, it is not.
This is still a must see as far as I am concerned, and I hope that after I really get into listening to Bob Dylan's music I can revisit this film and find a greater appreciation for it. Maybe then it will all come together for me. Haynes is an amazing director, an amazing artist and this is proof that he has what it takes to become legend. A little structure would have really elevated this film and brought it to masterpiece levels. I'm going to give it a B, even though part of me wants to give it an A for effort and the other part wants to give it a C for failing to live up to its potential. I'll settle somewhere in the middle.
