The Postmodern Biopic

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2008)

I'm not there is a complex movie about a complex character in Robert Allan Zimmerman- better known to the world as Bob Dylan. What it attempts to do is focus on this complexity by picking it apart, slicing the periods and aspects of Dylan's life apart into separate people.
We have Ben Whishaw as Arthur who throughout the film, acts as a sort of compass to Dylan's mind and ethics by telling truisms; some contradictory. Christian Bale is Jack Rollins, representing not only the early 60s Dylan, who was held up as a reluctant folk martyr, and who is born again as Pastor John, representing Dylan's own spiritual dabbling in Christianity.
Marcus Carl Brodie plays Woodie Guthrie ( not the real one ), a young boy who evokes the mysticism of Dylan's youthful years. Cate Blanchett is Jude Quinn, representing Dylan's turn from folk martyr to rock storyteller, much to the chagrin of both the press and the folk community. Heath Ledger also turns up as Robbie Clark, whose movie career is balanced out by the break-up of his marriage, reflecting Dylan's own personal life as his ego got bigger and bigger. And finally Richard Gere represents Dylan the old exile through the character of Billy the Kid, who once again rises up to face those who would do people wrong.
The cast in this movie are very good, with Christian Bale excellent ( though underused ) and Cate Blanchett simply amazing as the defiant Quinn, seeming to ooze Dylan's personality with every pore of her body. However the fact of the matter is they have split up Dylan into 6 different people and while this seems like an interesting idea for a movie, none of these characters really is three dimensional enough to be seen as little more as examples to prove a point. The point may be an interesting one and very well made, but you still feel a little dudded.
Having said that though, I'm not there has some wonderful music and some great acting. Although the 6 personalities does get a little tiresome, it is an interesting way to look at a man who is hard to sum up as any.