Here’s What ‘A Complete Unknown’ and ‘Better Man’ Do Better Than Almost All Other Music Biopics

It seems inevitable that every well-known musician will inevitably get their own biopic, as the popularity of biographical films centered on iconic artists has skyrocketed in recent years. Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis were both major award season contenders, and films such as Straight Out Compton and Rocketman were critical and financial successes. Unfortunately, the genre grows significantly less interesting when the films serve as nothing but free publicity for their subjects; considering that the estates of Bob Marley and Tina Turner were involved in the production of Bob Marley: One Love and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, respectively, it isn’t a shock that both films feel like sanded-down versions of the truth. However, A Complete Unknown and Better Man are able to showcase more nuanced portrayals of their subjects, as they do not entirely lionize everything that Bob Dylan and Robbie Williams did.

Music Biopics Work Best When They Embrace Artists’ Flaws

Although it is hardly the first project about his life story, Dylan is portrayed as a reckless and often abrasive figure in A Complete Unknown, as director James Mangold lives up to the film’s title by allowing Timothée Chalamet to give a removed, enigmatic performance as the iconic artist behind “Like A Rolling Stone.” A Complete Unknown certainly does not deny that Dylan was an artistic genius and, in fact shows extended sequences in which Chalamet was able to recreate his most famous songs. However, the film also shows that Dylan was not very kind to his girlfriend Sylvie (Elle Fanning) and purposefully disrupted his tour with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) due to petty grievances between the two. It certainly is triumphant to see Dylan deliver his singular electronic performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, but the film acknowledges that his diversion from traditional folk music felt like a betrayal to his mentor, Pete Seeger (Edward Norton).

Better Man examines the price that fame and constant media attention had on Williams’ mental health, as he became so obsessed with stardom that he learned to adopt an aggressive, immature persona that would best appeal to crowds. Although the notion of Williams appearing as a computer-generated ape may have seemed like a gimmick at first, Better Man shows that Williams was never able to have self-respect due to the pressure to perform like a “dancing monkey.” It is certainly a sympathetic portrayal that acknowledges that Williams’ life was fraught with substance abuse issues and a complex dynamic with his family, but it also shows that his recklessness sabotaged the other members of Take That, to the point that they had to drop him from their lineup. Better Man takes its boldest creative swing in its final moments, which show that while Williams is able to recognize his demons, he will never be able to defeat them entirely.

‘A Complete Unknown’ and ‘Better Man’ Take Narrative Risks

Biopics are often at their most dull when they simply recount the artist’s entire life story, but thankfully A Complete Unknown and Better Man offer insights that could not be learned from documentaries about the same subject. A Complete Unknown explores a very specific period in Dylan’s career in which his music began to resonate with the growing counterculture movement and showed the awkward place he was in upon becoming a singular rock icon. Better Man reimagines Williams’ rise-and-fall as a fantasy musical that examines the subjective way that Williams perceived events; it’s not always a pleasant journey, as Better Man even ends with Williams yelling profanities to the viewers.

Music biopics like A Complete Unknown and Better Man succeed as standalone works of art that aren’t interested in appeasing preexisting fans. A Complete Unknown succeeds in showing why Dylan was so successful, but its focus on his personal romantic relationships provides a compelling new angle. Better Man may have flopped because of Williams’ relative lack of fame in the United States, but the film is so creatively imagined that it succeeds as an original story for those that have never heard of Take That. If the next slate of music biopics are as inventive and emotional as both A Complete Unknown and Better Man, then there should not be any concerns about the genre potentially feeling stale.

A Complete Unknown is in theaters now.

A Complete Unknown

A Complete Unknown: Set in the vibrant New York music scene of the early 1960s, the film follows the journey of 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan. It captures his rapid ascent from a budding folk singer to a prominent figure in concert halls and on the charts, highlighting his impact on the music world.

Release Date

December 25, 2024

Cast

Timothée Chalamet
, Edward Norton
, Elle Fanning
, Monica Barbaro
, Nick Offerman
, Boyd Holbrook
, P.J. Byrne
, Scoot McNairy
, Dan Fogler
, Will Harrison
, Charlie Tahan
, Jon Gennari
, Norbert Leo Butz

Runtime

140 minutes

Main Genre

Biography

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