After months of waiting, the “I’m Not There” trailer has finally arrived (click on the image).
The Gist: “Inspired by true/false/authentic/exaggerated/real imagined stories,” pretty much says it all. Avoiding a conventional bio-pic (i.e. “Walk The Line”) Todd Haynes has chosen to portray Bob Dylan with several actors in order to mirror the chameleon-like quality of his career and life. It’s an abstract and experimental concept that has some Dylan’s fans divided, but many movie fans salivating.
In Summary: This is going to be one hell of a polarizing flick. Either people will love it, or they’ll hate it. It looks like Bale and Ledger have kind of nailed his demeanor and that Cate Blanchett does a servicable take on him during the “Dont Look Back” days.
Quotables: (title card) “All I can do is be me. Whoever that is.” – Bob Dylan.
Release Date: November 21st (limited)
Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported that “I”m Not There” will slowly roll out in just a handful of premieres: one in New York and two in Los Angeles.
“With a movie like this you have to build it,” Weintein Company head Harvey Weinstein said. “I don’t think you can go out on 500 screens. The reason for Film Forum is you go where the best word of mouth is on the movie. I like the movie; I think it’s adventurous. The audience is going to have to work — work in a good way.”
Weinstein also characteristically dropped a brazen Oscar salvo. “I may be jumping the gun, but if Cate Blanchett doesn’t get nominated, I’ll shoot myself,” he said.
According to the Times, Blanchett plays Dylan during his Blonde on Blonde phase, Christian Bale corresponds to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, while Heath Ledger plays him during the John Wesley Harding era.
[ed. This post was contributed by Phil Contrino]