I'm Not There with this one!

Rating: 5/10 (30 May 2008)

Call me "The Anti-Dylan", say that I don't give a "folk" about folk music, even say that I'm not there with the societal implications of storytelling in that type of genre music. However, do not say that I do not have justification in finding the Bob Dylan semi-autobiographical film "I'm Not There" an exercise in extreme ridiculousness. Director Todd Haynes presents ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan through different eccentric characters: a rambling interviewee Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Winshaw), a hardcore folkie musician Jack Rollins (Christian Bale), a man of the small village wild Billy The Kid (Richard Gere), a gabby black child Woody Guthrie (Marcus Carol Franklin), a successful actor-musician Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger), and a vociferous "play by my own rules" musician Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett). Haynes presents us mosaics of their lives and asks us via cinema to compare it to Dylan's musical and personal background. Note to Haynes: Not everybody is an obsessed Dylan film like you Todd! Maybe Dylan has his "Haynes" on or visa-versa, but I do not partake in the "underwear" I mean underbelly of that musical environment. The performances from the actors were decent Dylan subliminal portrayals but without a doubt the one that will cross your mind a few times was the phenomenal performance of Cate Blanchett as Quinn. Yes, you got it! To quote the great Austin Powers: "That isn't no woman, it's a man, baby!" or maybe it was the other way around. Nevertheless, Blanchett was worthy of her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and several other critical accolades that she received for her work here; Simply stated: She was the Mighty Quinn. Too bad Todd Haynes writing and direction of "I'm Not There" was simply not there! Even though I loved Cate here, my advice to you is to not be there for "I'm Not There". ** Needs Improvement