Todd Haynes (“Far From Heaven”) created one breathtaking piece of cinema in the multi-faceted “I’m Not There.†This is an awe-inspiring  treat inspired loosely on the life and times of Bob Dylan.
The film is uniquely structured into six separate stories, based on events in the life of the musician and the poet. The six stories are not told straight forwardly, but intertwine and create something truly beautiful to watch. Each story has its own style through the cinematography and is set to the pulsating soundtrack of Dylan’s work. (And one Monkees song.)
Cate Blanchett’s performance as Jude comes the closest to the real-life inspiration of Dylan. She is simply amazing and fully transforms into a man leaving no sign of her female beauty to be realized. Without question Jude simply seems to be Dylan. Her tale deals with how reporters treated the rocker for trying to break down barriers and think for themselves. Then it takes a look at the loves and friends that knew the singer at that time. Haynes chose to have this segment in stunning black and white to capture the disorientating pace at which Dylan’s life faced in the mid-60’s. Almost all the other stories are in color and the black and white set up the mood of the piece.
Blanchett was nominated for best supporting actress at the Oscars, but did not get to take the statue home. Her performance is a great example of acting and she did deserve to win for this movie.
The second best performance comes from the late Heath Ledger as Robbie. The cinematography is hazily similar to the gritty films of the ’70s as it tells the tale of an actor coming to terms with stardom. Dylan’s life never had any Hollywood productions, like the ones that Robbie stars in and this is the most loosely based tale. Ledger gives a strong performance as a young man coming to terms with fame and trying to juggle family responsibilities. A beautiful early scene in a cafe exposes a new side to the actor, where he chats with a beautiful woman that he met. A montage set to the Dylan music allows us to view how their love blossomed. This movie is a sad reminder of the untapped potential in this fallen star.
Ledger’s “The Dark Knight” co-star Christian Bale handles two aspects of Dylan’s life, including his days as an early folk singer (Jack)  and later days as a pastor (John) in the 1980’s. Despite a lousy recent performance in “Terminator Salvation”, a more subdued and gentler side of Bale is seen here. Transforming himself throughout allows one to hope that one day soon he returns to being a good actor.
Then comes Richard Gere as Billy, which is loosely based on Dylan’s experience well making “Pat Garret and Billy the Kid” in 1973. We don’t get the experience of the movie making process like in the story featuring Ledger but rather a perspective told from Billy the Kid in the Old West. A very strange but bold perspective explains to the audience that this movie is going to deliver the unexpected and present new ideas. (Much like the singer that inspired the picture.)
Marcus Carl Franklin (“Be Kind Rewind”) and Ben Whishaw (2008’s “Brideshead Revisited”) are two talented and young actors portraying the early days of Dylan. Their performances are great- they just deserve a little more screen time to develop the roles.
These roles power “I’m Not There” and create something that has not be done on screen before, showing that there is still hope for the future of cinema. With a bold narrative structure that could have only been invented by a film maker willing to take a chance and a strong love of Dylan’s work, the message rings clear: Make yourself happy and speak your mind. At whatever the cost.
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