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In 'A Complete Unknown,' Timothée Chalamet captures the idea of Bob Dylan

Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown.
Macall Polay
/
Searchlight Pictures
Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown.

A Complete Unknown isn't a traditional biopic. Instead of covering Bob Dylan's life story from birth to old age, it covers the period shortly after his arrival in New York City, as he first begins to fall in with the city's folk music scene. Timothée Chalamet plays Dylan — and does all his own singing. We see Dylan become a superstar, as well as his famous set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival —where he and his band plugged in for an electrified set that's often viewed as a cultural turning point in America.


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Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
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