I’m Not There (Todd Haynes, 2007): USA, Germany

Reviewed by Byron Potau

The worst thing a bad film can have is a redeeming quality, some little thing which prevents the film from slipping into oblivion never to be viewed again.  For the first five minutes director Todd Haynes’s Bob Dylan biopic in disguise seems like it might be an interesting idea.  However, the viewer soon realizes this experiment is an atrocious failure, and so begins the viewer’s suffering at the hands of this tedious film that meanders through lofty pretentiousness and sheer boredom.
The film bounces back and forth in Dylan’s life and semi relative moments in time which may have affected Dylan’s life and art.  The entity of Dylan is portrayed by six different actors trying to portray a Dylan like figure without portraying a Dylan like figure.  One character, a young black kid named Woody Guthrie (Haynes gets no points for subtlety here), portrayed by actor Marcus Carl Franklin, who is riding the railway cars with the tramps is supposed to embody a young Dylan trying to find himself and encountering influences along the way that will affect his music later on.  Another character, portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, is an actor who embodies Dylan at the time of his crumbling marriage.
It is not long into the film that the viewer realizes there is but one hope; Cate Blanchett.  Her performance gained a considerable amount of attention as well as an Oscar nomination, and is the only reason anyone could possibly have to continue to watch.  The unfortunate thing is that she is truly spellbinding.  Though her performance seems slightly inconsistent in a few brief moments she is able to tap into Dylan’s persona with slight gestures, nuance, and an aloof, wry grin at the end of a cigarette.  The film comes to life when she is on screen and bears no resemblance to the other sections of the film.  It is unfortunate that this performance should be hidden in such a tragically awful film.  It is doubtful most casual viewers will even get to her performance before turning off the film since it is hidden forty minutes deep.  It is also of note to mention what a terrible oversight the Academy made by giving the Oscar to Tilda Swinton over Blanchett.  All the rest of the film has to offer are just pretty images over Dylan songs, sometimes sung by him, and sometimes not.
I cannot in, good faith, recommend this film, but I recommend Blanchett’s performance which is worth the rental, and I strongly advise utilizing your fast forward button to reach her scenes.  Watching her in comparison to the rest of the film makes one wish a good portion of this film was not there.