I’M NOT THERE (main, film, directed by Todd Haynes, starring Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw, Olive Schreiner Hall, tomorrow – Saturday – at 3pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
IN eight years of film reviewing, I’ve never seen as many people walk out at the end of a movie looking utterly confused as I did with the film I’m Not There.
The film is about Bob Dylan … only, it isn’t.
Six different actors including a black child (Marcus Carl Franklin) and a woman (Cate Blanchett) play six different characters all of whom have elements of Dylan’s characteristics, although none of them are actually Dylan.
Franklin plays Woody, a young boy who is trying to start a career as a blues singer, despite the fact that he doesn’t have the life experience to understand what he’s singing about.
Blanchett, Christian Bale and Ben Whishaw, are the three who’s characters match closest to Dylan – each playing a professional musician.
Bale’s character, Jack, is the one who becomes a folk star, but annoys his fans by plugging in his guitar and turning to electric rock ‘n roll, before quitting the business and turning to religion.
Blanchett’s Jude is the one who introduces the Beatles to drugs, and personally destroys him/herself by indulging in the same vice.
Whishaw’s character is only seen in black and white interview segments, seemingly after being arrested.
The late Heath Ledger in one of the last films he ever made, plays Robbie, an actor who stars in Jack’s life story, and then struggles to separate his career from that of the musician.
The strangest of all is Richard Gere’s character – historic outlaw Billy the Kid. Quite what he’s got to do with Dylan beats me.
The six stories are separate from each other, but do occasionally interlink. This adds to the confusion, because if Woody’s story is set in the 1950s, how can he come into contact with Billy the Kid?
Dylan fans will recognise all the songs in the soundtrack including The Times They are A-Changing and All Along the Watch Tower, and will pick up various references to important points of his career.
But overall the film is so non-linear and confusing, you find yourself having to concentrate from start to finish and never manage to just sit back and relax.
Tags: billy the kid, bob dylan, cate blanchett, Christian Bale, Film review, heath ledger, non-linear, richard gere, the beatles
