Movie Watchin Wednesday

August 13th - I'm Not There (2007)

I think I missed something?

"I'm Not There" was quite an accurate title... as I felt I wasn't really there the whole two hours of this intensely tedious film.  It was like a giant inside joke, and I spent the whole time trying to figure out the punchline, and left still not knowing it. 

I get there were a lot of layers in this movie, and a lot of symbolism, and a lot of big-name actors... but it fell short in actually delivering for me.  Granted, I'm not a Bob Dylan fan, and perhaps I needed to know a lot more about him and his music going into this to actually understand what was going on... but truthfully, it failed on all levels for me. 

Re:August 13th - I'm Not There (2007)

Having very little knowledge of Bob Dylan, Allan Ginsberg, or the "folk music" of the 60s I felt fairly lost during the film. Yet it seems as though the film was meant to be largely symbolic in many ways that I immediately became cognizant of while watching, but am unable to communicate because this feeling hasn't matured in my mind. I'd say I'd have to watch it again, but I honestly doubt that I will. If I did I would make sure I did some reading on the characters on that era.

Re:I think I missed something?

I just heard Jay say something really funny: "I knew very little about Bob Dylan before watching I'm Not There, and now I know even less."

I was thinking about how the opening credits of the film say "inspired by the life and music of Bob Dylan," and I think that's more accurate than saying the movie is "about" Bob Dylan.

I think people can stop worrying about whether they missed something. I could see a lot of connections in the movie to Bob Dylan's life, but even with these the connections I'm Not There isn't a coherent narrative. That is, it isn't a story that makes sense from beginning to end.

So what is I'm Not There if it isn't a story?

Re:August 13th - I'm Not There (2007)

I don't really umm... know what to say about this movie. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone unless they are a die-hard Bob Dylan fan.

The movie was a lot like the window across the way making plans for the drink of water that we should go there again if you want to take a picture so the dog doesn't poop on the carpet.

Re:August 13th - I'm Not There (2007)

Yeah...what Nick said:)

I guess the funny thing about a movie like this is that it's not about a causal/linear story line complete with plot and characters. Ryan and I talked about it last night and we agreed that it was more a handful of personas that portrayed certain aspects of Dylan's life. The writer put those personas into their own little plots and storylines. It painted a picture of a life. But its an extremely abstract portrait. I wish they had done a little bit of work drawing connections between the personas (who were all named differently?) or a more explicite kind of logic (i.e. linking the personas to songs or specific events in Dylan's life). Actually, they might have been doing just that, and I have no idea because I don't know anything about Bob Dylan. To Do: Read a Dylan biography.

Re:August 13th - I'm Not There (2007)

I understand different personas, but it is very confusing when some intertwine and others do not.  I just felt like there were so many stories going on, that none of them connected, that presentation was separate and confusion was implied.  With out extensive explanation I wont know where this was going.

It almost felt like an art film, but my brain was trying to construct the story.  I couldnt just let go and watch to watch.