Great Barrington — It is looking increasingly likely that Timothée Chalamet will become the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor. His portrayal of Bob Dylan in the biographical drama “A Complete Unknown,” now playing at The Triplex Cinema, has sparked the greatest Oscar buzz of his career, which already includes four Golden Globe Awards and three BAFTA Film Awards.
But this time, Chalamet has set a new standard—for himself and for all future Oscar contenders. To compete with him in the 97th Academy Awards, actors will need to have delivered performances that are both Oscar worthy in acting and Grammy worthy in music. Those who cannot do both will compete at a lower standard.
But this is also true of the movie itself, which will almost certainly receive a Best Picture nomination from the Academy in January. This recognition will stem in part from the dedication of three additional actor-musicians—Monica Barbaro, Edward Norton, and Boyd Holbrook—who, like Chalamet, spent years working with voice and music coaches to perfect both the manner of speech and musical performances of their characters.
Chalamet performs 40 Dylan songs live, demonstrating not only a mastery of Bob’s vocal idiosyncrasies but also his guitar and harmonica playing. Countless singers have imitated Dylan over the last six decades, and many have done a respectable job. But Chalamet’s nuanced performances stand apart from all others. The product of intensive study, they exist in an entirely different universe from casual impressionists.
Edward Norton’s earnest portrayal of Pete Seeger in “A Complete Unknown” stands among the finest performances of his career and is sure to attract Oscar attention. Seeger’s relationship with Dylan was conflicted, and Norton navigates the ups and downs with authentic warmth and affability.
No one will be surprised to learn that critics have described Monica Barbaro’s depiction of folk singer Joan Baez as a breakout role for the actress. Baez had a fraught and complicated relationship with Dylan, so it is a challenging role, especially when you figure in the musical demands. Barbaro’s performance rings true, both dramatically and musically.
Boyd Holbrook’s portrayal of a rabble-rousing young Johnny Cash is more visually convincing than probably any prior performance depicting the pioneering country singer and author of “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Owing to sloppy lip-syncing and perfunctory acting, past biographical dramas about musical geniuses have tended to be facile, inauthentic, and unsatisfying. “A Complete Unknown” shatters expectations with musical performances of unprecedented authenticity and emotional depth. Aficionados of Dylan’s music are likely to be deeply pleased.
