DramaMusicHistory

A Complete Unknown

- The ballad of a true original.

New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.

Release Date : 2024-12-18

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Veritas Entertainment GroupRange Media PartnersThe Picture CompanyTurnpike FilmsWhite WaterSearchlight Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Going Electric

Cast

Character Name : Bob Dylan

Original Name : Timothée Chalamet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pete Seeger

Original Name : Edward Norton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sylvie Russo

Original Name : Elle Fanning

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joan Baez

Original Name : Monica Barbaro

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dave Van Ronk

Original Name : Joe Tippett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toshi Seeger

Original Name : 初音映莉子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Frank (Lawyer)

Original Name : Peter Gray Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Federal Judge

Original Name : Peter Gerety

Gender : Male

Character Name : Federal Court Clerk

Original Name : Lenny Grossman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cab Driver

Original Name : David Wenzel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woody Guthrie

Original Name : Scoot McNairy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Danny Seeger

Original Name : Riley Hashimoto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tinya Seeger

Original Name : Eloise Peyrot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mika Seeger

Original Name : Maya Feldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Albert Grossman

Original Name : Dan Fogler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tito (Gerdes Stage Manager)

Original Name : Reza Salazar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gerdes M.C.

Original Name : James Austin Johnson

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Hammond

Original Name : David Alan Basche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brownie McGhee (Blues Musician)

Original Name : Joshua Henry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alan Lomax

Original Name : Norbert Leo Butz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gena Russo

Original Name : Alaina Surgener

Gender : Female

Character Name : Civil Rights Speaker

Original Name : Martin Fisher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mailman

Original Name : Craig Geraghty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Orderly

Original Name : Michael Everett Johnson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Musician at Party

Original Name : Jater Webb

Gender : Male

Character Name : Johnny Cash

Original Name : Boyd Holbrook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jimmy Dean

Original Name : Andy Talen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man On Payphone

Original Name : Andrew Kober

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom Wilson

Original Name : Eric Berryman

Gender : Male

Character Name : CBS Receptionist

Original Name : Molly Jobe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Girl #1 (D.C. Hotel)

Original Name : Sophia Feldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Girl #2 (D.C. Hotel)

Original Name : Taylor Valentine Lupini

Gender : Female

Character Name : Harold Levanthal

Original Name : P.J. Byrne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter Yarrow

Original Name : Nick Pupo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Street Vendor

Original Name : Brendan Burke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Becka

Original Name : Laura Kariuki

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tilda

Original Name : Zoe Zien

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest #1

Original Name : Kevyn Morrow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest #2

Original Name : Andy Grotelueschen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest #3

Original Name : Jonathan Spivey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest #4

Original Name : Cilda Shaur

Gender : Female

Character Name : Party Guest #5

Original Name : Clark Carmichael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bob Neuwirth

Original Name : Will Harrison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman at McAnn's

Original Name : Taylor Goodwyn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sylvie's New Boyfriend

Original Name : Arthur Langlie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Theodore Bikel

Original Name : Michael Chernus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roy Halee (Engineer)

Original Name : Jordan Goodsell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mike Bloomfield

Original Name : Eli Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jesse Moffette

Original Name : Big Bill Morganfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonah (TV Floor Director)

Original Name : Liam Craig

Gender : Male

Character Name : Al Kooper

Original Name : Charlie Tahan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harvey Brooks (Columbia Records)

Original Name : Ian Kagey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Cab Driver

Original Name : Dave Maulbeck

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spacey Girl

Original Name : Lorin Doctor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kid In Crowd

Original Name : Aidan Close

Gender : Male

Character Name : Girl In Crowd

Original Name : Irina Chelidze

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Festival Fan #1

Original Name : Jenna Veal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Festival Fan #2

Original Name : Joshua Flinchbaugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Festival Fan #3

Original Name : Cameron G. Quevedo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Festival Fan #4

Original Name : Alexis Felix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joe Boyd (Sound Engineer)

Original Name : Will Price

Gender : Male

Character Name : Angry Fan

Original Name : Sunny Vinsavich

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maria Muldaur

Original Name : Kayli Carter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sony Terry (Blues Musician)

Original Name : Steve Bell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marshall Grant (Tennessee 3)

Original Name : Malcolm Gold

Gender : Male

Character Name : Luther Perkins (Tennessee 3)

Original Name : Patrick Phalen

Gender : Male

Character Name : W.S. Holland (Tennessee 3)

Original Name : Douglas Marriner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barry Goldberg (Newport Band '65)

Original Name : Justin Levine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sam Lay (Newport Band '65)

Original Name : Mark Whitfield, Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jerome Arnold (Newport Band '65)

Original Name : Joshua Crumbley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kenny Rankin (Columbia Records)

Original Name : Felix Lemerle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bruce Langhorne (Columbia Records)

Original Name : Malick Koly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul Griffin (Columbia Records)

Original Name : Andre Chez Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bobby Gregg (Columbia Records)

Original Name : Jimmy Caltrider

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patsy Celtic Band Member

Original Name : Kyle A. Sanna

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patsy Celtic Band Member

Original Name : Patrick M. Dennis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patsy Celtic Band Member

Original Name : Nick Baxter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Musician Outside Viking #1

Original Name : Alan Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Musician Outside Viking #2

Original Name : Mark Gross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Musician Outside Viking #3

Original Name : Andy Stein

Gender : Male

Character Name : Musician Outside Viking #4

Original Name : Jean Rohe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #1

Original Name : Farley Rene

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #2

Original Name : Junior Cius

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #3

Original Name : Travis Patton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #4

Original Name : Victor Sho

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #5

Original Name : Vincent Mp Filliatre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texas Prison Working Group #6

Original Name : Amos J. Machanic

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man Playing Tambourine

Original Name : Sunny Jain

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vendor Sings Opera

Original Name : James Archie Worley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newport Festival Stage Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Jon Gennari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul Stookey (uncredited)

Original Name : Stephen Carter Carlsen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Woman in Cocktail Dress (uncredited)

Original Name : Bridget McGarry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Lepre

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-21

I grew up in an household that loved Bob Dylan and Joan Baez (though not equally from parent to parent!), and I think it really only instilled in me a sense of contrariness. The more my dad banged on about how great Dylan and his lyrics were, the more that fell of deaf childish ears. Sitting down now I was worried I'd revert to my self of fifty-odd years ago, but thanks to a pretty convincing effort from Timothée Chalamet I actually found my feet moving - and not towards the door! It doesn't do him any harm that he resembles the man, and he manages to convey something of the spirit of this poet who, upon hearing that Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) is on his last legs in hospital, travels to New York to track him down. He finds Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) at the bedside of a sick man, plays him a song he's written about his hero and now thanks to some patronage from Seeger he starts to get gigs, meets "Sylvie" (Elle Fanning) then the already successful Baez (Monica Barbara) before taking the world - and Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) by storm. It's a classy biopic that, though chronological, isn't just a straight history of the man. It shows his character, warts and all, as he comes to terms with his success and some of the temptations and fickleness that goes along with it. Many critics say Dylan is the worst singer of his own songs and Chalamet keeps up that tradition offering some authentic sounding, but different enough, interpretations of some of the man's most recognisable songs. Barbaro also turns in well as Baez, though I found her voice just a little too operatic and not quite as effective. The production is clearly high-end with loads of attention to the detail, but essentially this is really a chance for Chalamet to show he is more than just a (very) skinny boy with floppy hair. Purists of the artiste may hate it, but I think it quite powerfully characterises this group of free thinking individuals in a 1960s America dealing with a presidential assassination, communist threats and a general sense of paranoia amongst a public that was clearly crying out for something to hope for. Dylan et al delivered some of that, and this comes across well.