Tangled up in Blue

Bob Dylan is one of the most enigmatic and celebrated musicians of all time. It's only fitting then, that we have a film that's as complex and diverse as he is. Todd Haynes has created a film which is certainly complex, but brings us no nearer to knowing anything conclusive about the man.

Six actors portray Dylan at varying stages of his life, each representing a different aspect of Dylan's personality and career. We have everything from Marcus Carl Franklin's 1930s rail road track chasing Woody, Christian Bale's folk singer of the 60s, to Cate Blanchett's deservedly Oscar nominated smoking idol.

The fact that none of these characters are called Bob Dylan and that they're spun together in a timeline that moves around more than Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap, makes this a dense and often confusing film.

Facets of each character represent a facets of Dylan's personality, but it's up to the audience to determine which parts these are. I'm Not There doesn't attempt to be the last word on Dylan's life and shows each part as subjective and open to interpretation.

However, to really get the most out of this film and the ever shifting time line, the viewer really needs to have a fairly intimate knowledge of his life already. Casual viewers are in danger of blinking at their screen, scratching their heads thinking “What?”.

It's an intriguing, highly personal film which is enhanced by the soundtrack by Dylan himself and cover versions of his songs, which themselves reflect the multiple interpretations of his personality in the film itself.

If you can't stand Dylan's music, then you might want to avoid this, as it's everywhere, in its original form and as multiple cover versions and if you're a Dylan fan, you might be irritated at the way the film blurs the lines between fact and fiction. But if you have any interest in the man, then you should see this film and decide for yourself. It probably won't bring you any closer to understanding Dylan, but it'll a least be an interesting ride.