Spring Break
Movie Review
'I'm Not There'
David Coley
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: Culture
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That marriage of the metaphorical and the historical permeates the whole film. This is good news for those who may not know much about Dylan to begin with. However, if you are familiar with him, you are sure to get more out of the film. A good resource for catching up would be Scorsese's documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan."
The film flits back and forth between the different characters, albeit confusingly at times. But the point here is not plot, it's persona. The genius of Haynes' method is he's found a cinematic language to handle both Dylan's life and his poetry, not an easy feat, to be sure.
It's been a few days since I saw the film, and I find I am still processing it, trying to work out this puzzle in my head to make a whole. But that is an erroneous approach. The parts exist simultaneously, but never in the same place.
And that's how it should be. I find that all I can do is watch it again. And again. It's one of those rare occasions when an unsolvable puzzle is a blessing, especially when it sounds so good.
dcoley@unews.com
The film flits back and forth between the different characters, albeit confusingly at times. But the point here is not plot, it's persona. The genius of Haynes' method is he's found a cinematic language to handle both Dylan's life and his poetry, not an easy feat, to be sure.
It's been a few days since I saw the film, and I find I am still processing it, trying to work out this puzzle in my head to make a whole. But that is an erroneous approach. The parts exist simultaneously, but never in the same place.
And that's how it should be. I find that all I can do is watch it again. And again. It's one of those rare occasions when an unsolvable puzzle is a blessing, especially when it sounds so good.
dcoley@unews.com
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