Beautiful inventive biopic, but you probably need to be a fan already

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2009)

I guess this is another one of those films that does require the viewer (for the most part) to actually like the subject matter. For me, being Dylan's biggest fan, this was never an issue but it still needed, as a "project" film, to be well cast and well scripted. It was.
Personally I thought everyone worked well but particular kudos to Cate Blanchett who is extraordinary as the young Dylan. So convincing in every way that for a moment I forgot who was playing the role. Marcus Carl Franklin as "little Woody" was also incredible, Julianne Moore is always superb and carried the "Joan Baez" role with uncanny beauty and even Richard Gere shone in his brief "Billy the Kid" role.
These sort of multi faceted 'people' films (think Crash, Magnolia, Bobby etc) work if the story is good. Maybe they don't always have to stay 100% true to the base storyline, although those who know enough about Dylan's life and music will certainly feel that his many facets were very well represented here, but they do have to be entertaining. I loved this movie as I thought I would, because above all else it was entertaining. Could've been a disaster but if you love Dylan's philosophy as well as his music, you'll love this.