Todd Haynes: His Way
November 29, 2007
I’M NOT THERE [2007]
Directed by Todd Haynes
Written by Todd Haynes and Oren Moverman
With Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Wishaw
I’m Not There is the third Todd Haynes film to free associate on and/or fantasize about the lives of real musicians. His film Velvet Goldmine [1998] featured Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor as bisexual glam rockers loosely based on David Bowie and Iggy Pop. His 1987 unauthorized cult biography of Miss Rainy Days ‘n’ Mondays herself, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, starred Barbie dolls. The latest film from Mr. Haynes ruminates on the life of Bob Dylan, a life-long chameleon that is fittingly portrayed by six different actors, four grown white men, a young black boy, and Cate Blanchett.
Queer sensibility permeates the films of the openly gay director, from his Sundance darling, the triptych Poison [1991], to his Oscar nominated tribute to Douglas Sirk, Far From Heaven [2002]. Mr. Haynes is subtle with I’m Not There; there is nary a mary in the film although Ms. Blanchett’s character is sexually ambiguous. The film is, however, undeniably queer. The six Dylans represent a deconstruction of the real thing, and the fragmented narratives and stunning images create a mosaic of the man and the worlds he inhabited. Most of the songs in the film are recordings by Dylan himself, with artists like Eddie Vedder, Yo La Tengo, and Calexico lending their talents here and there. Be sure to stay through the final credits to hear a beautiful cover of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” by Antony and the Johnsons.
Far from your standard Hollywood biopic, I’m Not There delights the ears and eyes even if, like me, you are not a die-hard fan of Bob Dylan. The film opened in wide release on November 21.
– R. Esquivel
…OR you can get that Antony + Johnsons Song right here:
Antony & The Johnsons–Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Buy the I’m Not There Soundtrack from itunes or amazon.com and view the trailer below.
