I'M NOT THERE

Yesterday I saw the new film "I'M NOT THERE" from director Todd Haynes. I have seen several of Todd Haynes previous films. I wasn't that crazy about them of course they are original and good, but I'm not there, oh it blew my head off. I was excited, confused, mesmerized and rejuvenated and left hanging. The film doesn't follow or apply any conventional, repetitious, mainstreamized and industrialized boring film formulas. It breaks all the rules and stands on its own.

The film is based on the seven distinct stages of the iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six different actors (Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere) play Bob Dylan.

You can call it biographical film but its not its an interpretation of a mysterious man, who can't be define and didn't want to be define and traveled through out his lifetime changing from one persona to another each different from one another except for the talent.

After watching the film I understood the filmmakers approach to this subject. How do you tell about a man who refused to be in a box well, you approach it with an interpretation that is out of the box and that is exactly what the filmmaker did and the film is crazy. I love crazy films not for the sake of being crazy but crazy with meanings.

The film barrows different film style from the sixties and mixes them into one. If you not familiar with Bob Dylan’s story or familiar and you want to understand Bob Dylan's story from A to Z, you are not gone get it in this film you might not even get this film. This film is deep and complex one may need to watch it several times to discover the multilayer element of the film.

Over all the performance are great, but Cate Blanchatt steals the film. Her portrayal of Dylan as Judd Quinn's is brilliant, amazing, shocking, alien and surreal. You can't take your eyes off of her. It’s a weird performance maybe because a woman is playing a man. In every scene where, Blanchatt is in, she is doing so many interesting things the other actors fade. Interestingly Marcus Carl Franklin who's 13 and black gives a great performance as Bob Dylan's younger years as a hobo calling himself Woody Guthrie. I like the casting of this film it breaks all the stereotypes. Who cares who is playing who as long as the story is told. It's freeing to see a black kid playing a white musician and a woman playing a man. also Christian Bale as usual immerses into the character of Bob Dylan during the folk singing and protesting era as Jack Rollins and later on as Pastor Jack. Heath Ledger plays Dylan in a very settle way as Robbie Clark a famous actor with wife and kids. Ben Whishaw recounts Dylan's philosophy about life as Arthur Rimbaud. Richard Gere plays as the legends of Billy the kid.

If you up for a challenging film you should check "I'm Not There" it's one of the films that stays with you in a fragmented memories.

Clip and Trailer