I’m Not There (2007)

Directed by: Todd Haynes:
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kris Kristofferson

After the relative success of Walk The Line and Ray, its no surprise that another music icon would get the biopic treatment. But what is a surprise is that this film about the live of Bob Dylan isn’t actually about Bob Dylan, but rather the various guises he has taken on in his illustrious and diverse career. Intercut, rather than told chronologically, we get the young Marcus Carl Franklin as Woody Guthrie, the child Dylan, Ben Whishaw as the early Sixties Dylan called Rimbaud, Richard Gere as an aging Billy the Kid, Cate Blanchett as Jude, the Dylan gone electric, Heath Ledger as actor Robbie Clark playing the movie role of Jack Rollins (Christian Bale). It’s confusing when trying to understand exactly how close to Dylan each of the machinations is.
The film itself meanders from pure cinematic genius to slow, wasted opportunities, almost as if Dylan himself was too complex for one film to tie down. And despite all the possible pitfalls the film itself is as good a biopic of Dylan as you’re ever likely to see.
Todd Haynes, director of Far From Heaven, is clearly a director with passion Dylan’s music and the man. And this is as much a love letter as it is a biopic. It’s also, arguably the best ensemble drama of the year. And although none of the characters share screen space, over the course of the narrative a real bond begins to develop between them. Notably, the young boy Guthrie and aging Billy, Rimbaud and Jude and obviously Jack Robbie. They feel at times like opposites of each other, and in so allow a reflection on each character.
But the film is not without its flaws. With six characters its difficult to juggle them all and develop them equally. As such Ben Whishaw’s Rimbaud and Bale’s Jack are hugely underdeveloped. Whishaw in particular creates a great air and intrigue about his character is what is purely a interview/interrogation throughout the entire film. Bale is given a few brief moments to shine with a guitar and harmonica before we see him again as a preacher. The key two story lines, those Haynes seems more interested in are Blanchett’s Jude and Ledger’s Robbie. As such these narratives dominate the proceedings and Blanchett’s performance is as good as any adjective used to describe it. So perfect is she as Jude (Dylan) that her performance almost undermines the others, as they are removed enough from the public perception of Dylan to be observed as such. No such luck for Blanchett. This could be because Blanchett plays Dylan at his most infamous and controversial, and also his most prolific, but when watching Blanchett, you can’t help but see Dylan. However, for Ledger for example, we are seeing an older Dylan, with children and a failing marriage. These narratives are the most compelling and the most thought through and as such they weigh over the smaller, more undeveloped narratives, which work more on a thematic level than a narrative one.
However, Haynes themes are the films most commendable aspect, hinting at what defines Dylan as indefinable. Part of the reason Dylan reinvented himself so much and pulled away from everything which at the time made him a success was because he wanted to remain individual. Something this film has pulled off in abundance.

While most biopic follow a similar template of finding success, mirrored by a troubled childhood, marred by a drug problem before being saved by a true love. Haynes decides to make his film as confusing and unreliable as a Dylan interview. Diverse, eclectic, brilliant, but also flawed, with moments of mediocrity. Kind of like Dylan’s career then.