I'm Not There

Todd Haynes, USA, 2007, 135 minutes

It doesn’t matter whether you are a super-fan of Bob Dylan or not. This imaginative portrait has much to offer our discerning EUFS audiences in visual creativity, acting talent and insight into a frequently reinvented, and much commented on, persona. The enigmatic musician’s life inspires six roles each played by different actors (Ben Whishaw, Christian Bale, Oscar-nominated Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Marcus Carl Franklin) and are creatively shot in various styles. Blanchett’s (frankly, disturbingly talented and realistic) portrayal of the period of crossover to electric is shot in surreal black-and-white whereas others are in turns colourfully whimsical, gritty, heartbreaking and dramatic. The cumulative effect of these (the stories themselves intertwine very little but themes echo throughout) is certainly not to offer a definitive account of his life, but to portray the various relationships, events, influences and changes of a man known for challenging and escaping definitions.

Dylan’s own music provides an appropriate and integral soundtrack and a few tracks have been reworked especially for the film. This provides a few pleasant surprises and offers fresh new insights in old favourites.

One of the most interesting and talked about films of 2007 is back on the big screen and destined to become a cult classic – don’t miss it!

Review by Emma Pattinson
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2008