I’m Not There – even more praise from Dylan devotee

Thanks to Bernard McGuinn:

“Stuck in the soft South on business last week, alone, I took advantage of the opportunity to see I'm Not There again, and it was well worth the time and the money.

“What struck me additionally, this time around, was the excellent use of some of the Tarantula stuff, and the Grossman and what I assumed was the Edie character – marvellous: illuminating and extremely humorous observations by the director.

“I loved the bit where the Grossman character is lying on a bed receiving a massage, and the Jones guy (?) comes up to him and slips a wad of money under his pillow.

“As your previous reviewer so insightfully highlighted, the dramatisation of the Newport electric set does far more to convey the real drama of the perceived historical situation than No Direction Home could possibly convey. Grossman and Seeger wrestling each other to the ground after they try to stop Seeger cutting the cables with his woodcutter’s axe is a pure belly laugh.

“And in a similar vein, the attempted attack on Bob by the waiter in the hotel room captures the sense of almost religious dogma that existed amongst so-called folk and protest fans in the mid-‘60s.
There's nothing at all new in this Muslim terrorist stuff; the world just has better access to weapons of some destruction these days.

“I think I'll go see it again, for the third time!”





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EARLIER, RELATED ARTICLE:



Thanks to Roy Edgar:

“I saw I'm Not There last night at the Barbican and I must say that I agree with Bernard McGuinn that it is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

“I found it engrossing throughout, even when I was baffled at what was happening (I really didn't understand the computer-generated whale!) and loved the endless cornucopia of Dylan words from songs, interviews or reviews.

“Cate Blanchett was totally convincing to this viewer, I kept forgetting that she was a woman! Her stare straight at the camera later on in the film defied you to think that she was anyone but Dylan.

“I even enjoyed the playing around with the facts like the Judas scene following Cate/Jude's Ballad of a Thin Man (a la Copenhagen) in front of the Stars and Stripes (a la Paris) with the audience actually storming the stage.

“On top of all this Bob's music fills the theatre, even Sad-Eyed Lady, wow! Suffice it to say I will be going to see this film again.

“Just read your review of Bob Dylan: The Never Ending Star, which has instantly persuaded me to buy the book - thanks for bringing it to our attention.

“And just to round off the plaudits for your site: I have the old version of The Rolling Thunder Logbook but now that you have spotted the new version for £3 at Fopp I will be getting that too.

“Keep up the great work!”


And thanks to Martin Cowan:

“A friend of mine who is a dyed-in-the-wool Dylan fan (he was at the Isle of Wight, you know!) is just back from seeing I'm Not There and was so enthused he wants to see it again!

“By the way, I think you have been perhaps too fulsome in your praise for the Rolling Thunder Logbook reissue. I too looked at this on reissue but found it to be mostly the same as my original edition, with some slightly different illustrations. However, in the light of your comments, I will see if I can track it down and take another look. I thought this was worth having as it works as a written accompaniment to Renaldo and Clara.”