A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic led by Timothée Chalamet, had its first screening on Wednesday and most reviews agree that the actor has outdone himself yet again with a career-best performance. That’s exactly what everyone said of his work in Dune: Part Two earlier this year, too.
“I am not exaggerating when I say that Timothée Chalamet delivers the performance of the year. He’s coming for all the awards,” warns Mama’s Geeky‘s Tessa Smith. Fellow film journalist Scott Menzel agrees, saying the 28-year-old “delivers the performance of the year” and a “tour-de-force.”
Timothée Chalamet delivers the performance of the year in A Complete Unknown. A true tour-de-force where Chalamet is never seen. Chalamet’s performance is not just about the voice and look but rather all of the little nuances and mannerisms that he perfectly brings to his life in… pic.twitter.com/n1n2UqhoWC
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 21, 2024
Senior awards editor at Variety, Clayton Davis, praises the “effortless yet focused determination” of Chalamet’s portrayal of the legendary singer-songwriter, while journalist David Poland notes his “enormous power.” Other commentators call his performance “transformative” and “superior.”
Just months ago, the internet was flooded with similar reactions to the actor’s explosive performance in Dune: Part Two. “You mean to tell me he’ll have delivered the performance of the year TWICE this year? This man is COOKING,” said one fan.
And, just months before that, he was at the top of the box office with Wonka. According to IndieWire, this epic late 2023/early 2024 run led Chalamet to break a 40-year-old record held by John Travolta by leading (solo, not as part of an ensemble) the two highest grossing films at the domestic box office in the shortest time span (8 months). Now that he’s about to cap off his year with an award-contending performance in James Mangold’s Dylan biopic, we must ask: is Timothée Chalamet really just competing with himself?
Could Timothée Chalamet be nominated twice at the Oscars in March?
Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown are both absolutely Oscar front-runners, though awards pundits don’t have very many hopes that Chalamet’s turn as the vengeful Muad’Dib in Denis Villeneuve’s space opera will get much love from the Academy. Oscar voters aren’t usually too interested in the sci-fi genre in categories other than the technical and, occasionally, Best Picture.
A Complete Unknown, however, is right up the Oscar’s alley. Biopics of tortured geniuses almost always land in the Academy’s good graces, and the double-bill with Dune: Part Two could very well result in a cumulative-type win for the young actor. If he were to win, he’d become the youngest Best Actor winner in Oscars’ history, which is a headline waiting to happen. He almost did it with his first nomination in 2017 for Call Me By Your Name, but at 29 and a little over two months, this might be his last chance to break Adrien Brody’s record, who won it in 2002, just 22 days before his 30th birthday.
A Complete Unknown is based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! which traces the musician’s controversial switch from acoustic folk to electric rock in the mid-sixties. Chalamet is joined in the cast Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. The latter is also receiving Oscar buzz. The movie lands in theaters on Christmas day.