I’m Not There (Todd Haynes , 2007): USA
Reviewed by Alex Kilauano. Viewed on DVD.
In one time or more, everyone will go through a Dylan phase. What this consists of is overplaying Bob Dylan on their ipod and watching classic Dylan footage. And if you do this correctly you will notice at the end that you still have no idea who this man is. You never know who he is because he is constantly changing himself. And the 2007 film I’m Not There shows exactly that.
I’m Not There directed by Todd Haynes, tells the story of Bob Dylan’s life through several different actors. Each actor tells a different part of his life or aspect of his life. Cate Blanchett playing the always working Dylan, Christian Bale as the artist who goes Christian, Marcus Franklin who portrays the younger runaway Dylan, Richard Gere plays the outlaw, Ben Whishaw as the poet and Heath Ledger as a actor who plays Dylan but has similarities with his characters life. By using different actors to play different parts of Dylan’s life, gives us a better feel of how much this one person changes. From a kid runaway in love with music, to a man trying to find out who he is and re-define himself as a person. Even though each person is playing Bob Dylan in one way or another, it made sense for him or her to use different people to plan one person. I felt that if the film contained one Dylan that it would have been too confusing and difficult for the character to change. Which is the whole idea of the film, change.
What I loved about this movie was its ability to give you the same feel of going through a Dylan phase, once you think you know who he is and what he is about, then he changes and your left still not knowing who he is. This movie stayed true to the whole outlook of who Dylan was for a certain time. The narrative jumps from character to character but the mood of the movie is somewhat consistent to his change. Each character seems to grow and adapt in front of us and change to the other.
Todd Haynes has seemed to capture the flame that is Bob Dylan in his film I’m Not There. The film takes the viewer on a brief outlook on Dylan’s life. Very entertaining and cinematically beautiful, I’m Not There is worth the time and money to see. Want to start your Dylan phase? Then watch Todd Haynes 2007 film I’m Not There.
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