Biopic of legendary singer-songwriter to be shown in Tipperary Arts Centre

The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, will put on a showing of “A Complete Unknown,” a biopic surrounding the life of legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

The film will be shown on Wednesday, May 14, starting at 2pm.

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Over 55s go free for the showing.

This event comes as part of the Bealtaine Festival in the Source Arts Centre.

Set in 1961 , an unknown 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York City with his guitar and forges relationships with musical icons on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking performance that reverberates around the world.

James Mangold’s excellent biopic hinges instead around his first major reinvention, when he plugged in his electric guitar at 1965’s Newport Folk Festival, the folk equivalent of the premiere of Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring.

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The film builds towards this climax by following the young singer (a superb Timothée Chalamet, capturing Dylan’s voice perfectly) at key steps along the way, from meeting heroes Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) to relationships with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro).

In no way a hagiography, this hugely enjoyable portrayal sees Dylan’s enigma survive the experience intact.