I’m Not There: Shades of Dylan

ninemsn

For anyone looking for a conventional representation of famed folk singer Bob Dylan, do not try your hand with Todd Haynes’ ambitious new film “I’m Not There”. His impressionistic look at the music icon is at times challenging, often to the point of being exasperating, but in the end is a fascinating and probably appropriate way to cover a man who has worn many faces and given away very little about himself in interviews.

It’s been five years since we’ve heard from Haynes, who last left us with the sensitively handled drama “Far From Heaven”. Here the director again brings a quiet sophistication in conducting the film’s complicated structure.

You may have already heard that the film has six actors all playing Dylan. This isn’t strictly true. In fact the six actors, one of whom, Cate Blanchett, is female, and another, Marcus Carl Franklin, is an 11-year-old, black boy, play loose representations of “aspects” of Dylan’s life, influences and personality. And none of the actors’ characters are actually called Bob Dylan.

Those who find the lack of a centre to guide us through the film may be frustrated by the film’s abstractedness. But the man himself never wished to be neatly defined, through his music or by journalists, so it comes as no surprise that a film sanctioned by the singer would attempt to either.

While the film as a drama can seem unsatisfying, and the continual jumps in eras, characters and style dizzying, no one can deny that Haynes has created a colourful and evocative portrait of the artist, and elicited fine performances from his cast, most notably Blanchett and Christian Bale.

And with the film “Across The Universe”, which incorporates more than 30 Beatles songs, as well as the Ian Curtis of Joy Division fame biopic “Control” also out at the moment, it seems music buffs everywhere should be getting to the cinema.

ninemsn’s MovieFix, December 2007.