[Source: BBC]

Timothée Chalamet has been praised by critics for his portrayal of Bob Dylan, in a new film biopic of the US singer-songwriter.

A Complete Unknown has already scored three Golden Globe nominations and is likely to be in the Oscars race in the new year.

The Guardian said Chalamet showed “amazing bravado” in his performance, while Empire said the actor is “superb” and his “musical talent is unimpeachable”.

But the Independent said the biopic itself “plays too safe” and Screen Rant described the “serviceable” film as a “fascinating yet frustrating” portrait.

A Complete Unknown is released on Christmas Day in the US, and 17 January in the UK.

Dylan himself has endorsed the film, although he had not actually seen it at the time he posted about it last week on X.

In her three-star review, the Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey said the film “takes a reverent stance to Dylan’s artistry, populated by technically accomplished musical performances”.

She said Chalamet’s voice “isn’t perfect, but it’s undoubtedly impressive”, adding the film is “shot with a real sensitivity to the emotional landscape of each track”.

The film is based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, Dylan Goes Electric!

Set in the early 1960s, it tells the story of Dylan’s rise to fame, and the conflict between his folk roots and his desire to expand his repertoire to include rock ‘n’ roll.

The friction is represented by the choice between his use of an acoustic and electric guitar, and Dylan’s lyrics gradually become bolder and more reflective of the world he sees around him.

The film climaxes with a famously chaotic performance at at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, where Dylan was booed by some members of the audience for playing an electric set with an amplified band.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond praised the film’s production design, costumes and cinematography, as well as its lead performance.

The film also follows Dylan’s romantic relationships with two women in particular – civil rights activist Sylvie Russo (played by Elle Fanning) and folk musician Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro).

Screen Rant’s Mae Abdulbaki reflected: “I could understand both women more clearly than Chalamet’s Dylan. Behind his sunglasses and tight body language, Dylan remains elusive.

With an acclaimed back catalogue built up over seven decades, Dylan is best known for hits such as Blowin in the Wind, Mr. Tambourine Man, It Ain’t Me Babe, Girl From The North Country and The Times They Are a Changin’.

A Complete Unknown also stars Edward Norton and is directed by James Mangold, the filmmaker behind Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line and films in the X-Men and Indiana Jones franchises.

The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney added: “Commendably, neither the movie nor the actor sugarcoat the abrasiveness of a creative genius whose insensitivity toward people close to him often stands in stark contrast to the humanity in his songs.”