I'm Not There, Todd Haynes

Bob Dylan times six.

I resisted seeing this movie because I'm more than indifferent to Bob Dylan--I find him terribly irritating and difficult to stand in large doses. Nevertheless, I saw the film because (1) I generally like the work of Todd Haynes, and (2) M. said that he'd fill in the interpretive gaps, if necessary.

By and large, I found the film self-sufficient. Despite its intense intertextuality, it doesn't require much knowledge--not even any admiration of Dylan in order to enjoy and appreciate the film. As most know, Hanyes created 6 characters (played by Cate Blanchett, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Marcus Carl Franklin) to represent the multiple roles Dylan has projected to the world since he abandoned Bob Zimmerman. From the pre-adolescent black actor playing the Woodie Guthrie wanna be, to the uberhip Jude, we see the performance of the persona called Bob Dylan.

Recommend.