Dylan, by Haynes

Rating: 1/10 (1 August 2008)

Absolute nonsensical claptrap. The only way to accept the film is to realize it has nothing to do with Dlyan, since the director plays fast and loose with what is actually true of Dylan. Todd Haynes may be trying to imitate Dylan's consciousness, but only Dylan can have it all come out as genius. What we get, instead, is two hours of watching really good actors struggling with free form, aimless, pointless, really bad direction and writing that dribbles down the screen, to be blessedly forgotten by the next self-serving scene. If he needed to change Dylan's name as played by the various actors, and change historical references to other people around him at the time, why didn't he change Kennedy, Nixon, et al as well? Is Haynes trying to pay tribute by stealing (poorly) portions of Fellini, or does he think that no one has ever watched Fellini, and he's being 'new'? Watch "Don't Look Back", or "No Direction Home" if you want something even close to truth. Better yet, skip this piece of trash, and listen to Dylan himself. Even just looking at the old photos of Dylan will give you more information about him than sitting through this. The only redeeming virtue here is that Dylan's songs play through the film - sadly to be interrupted by the dialog.