Fascinating Art Film

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2007)

I'm Not There is basically a two-hour long experimental film with uniformly excellent acting and production values. Todd Haynes' deconstruction of the writings of Bob Dylan was always interesting.
But the movie doesn't just deconstruct Dylan; it takes a pretty good whack at American and British culture from the late '50s through the mid '70s, particularly the mod scene in London in the mid-'60s.
Cate Blanchett is the best Dylan of the bunch, as the icon who turns the singer electric and leads him into a drug-filled time in London. She looked and talked more like Dylan than anyone else. Michelle Williams did a great turn as an Edie Sedgewick-esquire model named Coco. It was a pleasure to see Richie Havens in a small role as a guitar player early in the movie.
While this is not a literal biography of Dylan in any sense of the word, the movie uses his music and attitude very well. I'm not a huge Dylan fan, but I know his music and parts of his life well enough that I really enjoyed the movie.