Customer Reviews

Masked and Anonymous

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

You would probably have to go back to early Godard to find a movie as audacious, shockingly funny and brilliantly incisive in its analysis of the uneasy alliance between art and commerce as the sci-fi/film noir/spaghetti-western/Shakespearean musical-tragicomedy, Masked and Anonymous, the new movie from Bob Dylan and Larry Charles. As with some Godard, I can't say whether it's a comedy or a tragedy - but it's definitely a masterpiece.
To direct the Hollywood cast to speak in the script's poetic, ornate language could not have been easy but the actors do an exemplary job. Nearly all of them manage to hit just the right note of cartoonish hysteria to give the film a sense of unity and harmony. Except, that is, for Bob Dylan. His character, Jack Fate, is the calm in the eye of the storm, the one rational character surrounded by a world of swirling insanity and director Charles gets a lot of comic mileage out of the contrast
between Dylan's deadpan delivery and the over-the-top performances of nearly everyone else; it's like taking a Humphrey Bogart character out of the '40's and plunking him down in the middle of a massively absurd science-fiction landscape - the resignation and world-weariness of the film noir hero remains hilariously intact. The very idea is inspired and the execution is flawless.
The performance footage of course is terrific. Dylan and His Band play eight songs live on camera and there is a warmth, an intimacy and a relaxed quality to the performances that you will only see at Dylan's best club shows. Although none of the songs are heard in their entirety, these sequences are nonetheless beautifully filmed. There is none of the rapid-fire editing and pointlessly roving camera that mars the filmed footage of so many live musical performances. Instead, Charles' strategy is to have the band crowd together and film them in close-up with a wide-angle lens. There are numerous long takes in which all of the band members can be seen and when the camera does move, it's deliberate and meaningful.
In a recent interview, Larry Charles said he never worried about
finding a distributor for the film and that Dylan had told him long ago not to worry about the film "in the short term." However the film _is_ received in the short term, the richly orchestrated tapestry of sound and image that is Masked and Anonymous is sure to keep Dylanologists and film fans alike busy for decades.

Two things will really add to the appreciation of thid film. 1. An extremely open mind and 2. a working knowledge of Bob Dyaln; his history, his philosophy, his music. This is not a high budget film. Think more surrealist art house film. It does have many stars that most people will recognize, but that isn't the focus, nor point of the movie. This is the highly metaphorical tale of a musician and how he can't control his place in a chaotic society, but can remain true to his own self amid the chaos.

The very loosely woven plot becomes secondary to the individual events which make up the film, each scene revealing a nugget of Dylan's perspevtive. Dylan often delivers comments that make the entire scene seem irrelevant. In this way this is, at times, a very funny film. Dylan seems relaxed, especially compared to the other films he has made. The feeling is much more "Don't Look Back", much less "Hearts of Fire". He does retain his wooden movement and he delivers his short lines as commentary more often than conversation.

The soundtrack is exceptional. The performances are a real treat. All Dylan songs, but unique versions which fit seemlessly into the texture of the movie. The little girl singing "The Times They are A-Changin" will at least choke you up a bit, and possibly help us to remeber exactly how much that song meant 41 years ago, and how much it still means today.

I certainly recommend this to Dylan fans, especially those who respect or admire his perspective on the world. Anyone who enjoys non formulatic surreal films may also find much enjoyment in this movie. There is too much to pick everything up in your first screening when looking for interesting comments or details. I would recommend trying to watch and a get a feel for the film initially. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to make sense of every detail. In that way it is like most of Dylan's music, to be experienced repeatedly.

Many critics panned this movie simply because they have never really listened to Bob Dylan's words. This was a biography if i've ever seen one. "You can't change the world by singing" was one of John Goodman's lines in the film. "His whole life can be put on trial" was one of Jessica Lange's lines. This is Dylan's commentaries on the media, what they've done to him, and what he would like to do to them. It is also a commentary on the way our country is heading and the world as a whole. The movie had such memorable lines as "we are giving people new identities, and rewriting history books, and we will create a nation of lawbreakers and cash in on the guilt". This movie was took a genius to write, and if you don't get it, read the lyrics to 'My back pages' or Not Dark Yet', and you'll get an idea of what Dylan thinks of his career and the things he has regretably stood for.

I am of the opinion that the images and words that come from film should be, in essence, like a song - wholly unique in cadence, tone, and rhythm. Or at least I am after watching Masked and Anonymous. From Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams to Wes Anderson, artists writing for visual adaptation must all posses their own sense of "song writing." Bob Dylan is a masterful musician who speaks with such soul, depth, and rhythm that he has become a legend. Surrounded with mystery, the man has an almost religious following (don't believe me? Just take a look at all the big name actors that lined up just to work with him in this one). Masked and Anonymous captures the soul of Dylan with its cryptic poeticism, and distinct political messages. Add to the mix the real Dylan and six original songs debuted in the film, and you have created a cinematic world like none you have seen before.

Most critics bashed the movie, calling it brainless and empty - a sort of masturbation act for Dylan and the actors who blindly signed up to work in a "Dylan Movie." I don't care. Masked and Anonymous had me from its opening frames. The movie created a surreal and unique world that I desperately wanted to explore (in addition to being the only "the nation is run by gangsters" type gritty movie that didn't annoy me to death).

Movies that implore me to keep my eyes peeled so as to more fully understand the world I am inhabiting for a couple of hours, that cause me to breathe the air that it is breathing, those are the films that contain the magic of a cinema that is alive. This movie understands that magic through and through (the two other films this year that really created this alternate reality for me as a viewer were Finding Nemo and Down With Love). Masked and Anonymous offers one of those truly unique experiences - a telephone line into the heart of a poet - while still remaining as cryptic and mysterious as ever. But hey, that's what great song writing is all about, right?

It's definitely not for everyone, but "Masked and Anonymous" is one of the most original films I've ever seen, and terrific on a number of levels. Admittedly, Bob Dylan is no actor, but his acting "method" (such as it is) is perfect for this role, that of a legendary, mysterious musical artist with a mysterious past, who has been released from prison (why he's there, we do not know) to perform a "benefit" concert. Dylan is a wraith, a cypher, the proverbial walking, talking mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

The picture is an eerie, uncanny look at an America turned into a banana republic, a dictatorship embroiled in civil unrest and civil war, seemingly with no "good guys." (No doubt, this is the America we have to look forward to if we allow the Bush regime to hang on to power much longer, but that's another story for another time.)

The movie is chock full of memorable dialog and images, and outstanding performances by John Goodman, Jessica Lange and a host of others (Val Kilmer has an amazing, out of character cameo appearance). Bonus points for Dylan fans include little inside jokes and references (Dylan's character's name is Jack Fate, and the Jack Fate tribute band he hooks up with is called "Simple Twist of Fate," a song from his classic "Blood on the Tracks" album).

Then there's the music - I hope that this band tours with Dylan someday (they may well already have, I haven't seen him in concert in a number of years). Great, unexpected performances ("Dixie," which doesn't seem like it would be appropriate at all, is very haunting).

I repeat - this movie is not for everyone. For one thing, if you haven't seen or heard Dylan in years, you may be in for a shock. (Though, given that he's now over 60 years old, he doesn't look or sound too bad really.)

More importantly, this film is equal parts Fellini and Scorsese, with a healthy dose of David Lynch thrown in for good measure. It's easy to see why this movie was oftentimes panned by mainstream critics, and generally ignored by mainstream audiences. But Larry Charles has crafted an amazing, unique and criminally overlooked vision with "Masked and Anonymous."

Many professional critics, accustomed to lavishing praise on the latest Hollywood by-the-numbers spectacle, simply didn't *get* this film at all. It certainly helps to be a Bob Dylan fan, but I think it is intrinsically interesting, thoughtful and original on its own merits. Believe it or not, I picked up this movie at the video store without knowing much about it, and I didn't even realize the central character was Bob Dylan until he sang! (call me the Clueless Critic ). My point is, I had been enjoying the film up to that point, and continued to do so. As in other surrealistic movies (e.g. Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, movies by David Lynch or Jim Jarmusch), you have to accept that you aren't going to get a linear plot and open yourself to the experience. I found the satirical manner in which a war and revolution-stricken Third World nation was portrayed darkly hilarious. It is a hellish montage of every poor country on earth. The downtrodden people are, improbably, of all different races and religions. Dylan himself (who was criticized for his lack of acting) plays a stone-faced version of himself named Jack Fate. He has been hired to play a benefit for this unnamed country by a corrupt promoter (John Goodman). It would be almost pointless to try to describe the plot any further. What this film is really about is the bizarre imagery, dialogue and atmosphere (and, of course, music). Characters are constantly having conversations where truisms and conventional thinking are twisted into humorously wise Zenlike nonsense. Although Dylan apparently did not write or direct this film, he seemingly could have. Both promoters and reporters (in the guise of a pestering, gun-toting one played by Jeff Bridges) are portrayed as slimy predators. Although it is true that Dylan doesn't really act in this film, his total lack of expression adds something to the surreal effect. An actor who was trying too hard to appear funny or brilliant would have ruined it. Dylan sings several songs; there is also a surprisingly good rendition of his classic, "The Times they are a'Changin'" sung by a very young girl. This is obviously not a movie for everyone, but I found it more interesting and entertaining than any I've seen in quite a while.

The movie is sometimes hard to understand and that is why there has been so much negative views on it, but really the film plays out like a piece of literature. The story is of Jack Fate and his journey through playing in a benefit concert to help out the victims of the revolution. The revolution is fictitous one that is happening in a fictitous country, but the message is real. The story is addressing the powers of imperialism, the pities of human nature. Throughout the film the audience hears thunder in the background, and in the end a storm erupts. Physically and symbolically. Bob Dylan's performance is somewhat dry at points, but he is merely playing himself. You can not judge him as an actor because he is a singer, a songwriter. The music in the movie was done entirely by him, even the songs not sung by him were written by him and they all have a connecting theme, imperialism. There are many cameos in the film and to the average moviegoer they will seem pointless, but in fact each of these cameos are symbolic representations of human characteristics. If you notice in the credits each person is labled as either "the soldier", "the drunk", etc. That soldier and that drunk can represent every soldier and drunk in the world. The movie is so powerful and the audience will only see it if they look at it critically, not literally. To quote Penèlope Cruz in the movie "You have to look through the windshield, not at it".

It would be almost cliche' at this point to liken "Masked and Anonymous" to one of Dylan's epic songs, since every other reviewer who has seen it has done so. But they're right, and if you're a Dylan fan, you'll appreciate the film so much more for just that reason.

"Masked and Anonymous" encompasses just about every theme we've heard Dylan deal with in his music for the past forty years - religion, corruption, oppression, injustice, love and, finally, redemption. Dylan, through the character of Jack Fate, portrays an image of himself that is familiar from his songs - at times in the film, he's the Jokerman, other times the Jack of Hearts. These are, of course, my own interpretations - you'll certainly have your own once you've seen this film as it's wide open to a million different interpretations.

The performances in this picture should not be overlooked either. The lead performances as well as cameos from a dozen or so A-list Hollywood actors are top-notch. Among these, Jeff Bridges as Tom Friendly, the cynical journalist, stands out as exceptional - oscar-worthy in my humble opinion - but since when does the academy give awards to the films and actors that really deserve to win??

But I digress ... Dylan is obviously the weakest actor in the film, but more than makes up for it with his powerful presence. In certain instances, as he recites lines like, "I don't pay any attention to my dreams" or "You've got to be born on my side, Sweetheart," he even upstages his very talented co-stars.

And, of course, the music. The film is packed with interpretations of Dylan's own songs, including foreign language translations of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "If You See Her, Say Hello". I was personally thrilled to hear "Blind Willie McTell" in the soundtrack, though it didn't particularly seem to fit the scene. And the instrumental version of "Angelina" over the film's final scene gave me a chill.

The bottom line is if you're a Dylan fan, as I am, you'll love this picture as a huge addition to Dylan's already legendary body of work.

I watched this film probably six times before I arrived at a decision. I knew the first time, that I liked the movie, but I didn't know what the heck happened.

If you're a Bob Dylan fan, and you KNOW his lyrics, you're going to love the film. Bob isn't an actor; he's a poet and a great singer. Get over that. Nobody liked his voice the first time they heard it, but they came around when they realized they agreed with the things he said. Well, give him another chance and stick around to agree with the things that are said here.

The plot is mildly confusing the first couple of times. There's some unexplained war going on and not until you realize that the fact you don't know why there's a war, is a powerful statement, will you be able to overcome that step of the plot. It's an anonymous war, people are fighting and dying and nobody knows why. There's a line in the film, early on, where a character says "The last person that knew what they were fighting for died long ago."

This is like a two hour version of one of bob's better songs.

How many times do you listen to a song before you realize you've gone and fallen in love? If you watch this movie once and toss it aside, you need to suck it up and watch it like a poetic piece of art not like a Saturday night movie at home.

And the cinematography, breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning, dramatic and powerful stuff here with camera angles and lighting and just... everything.

And talk about an all star cast, not since Basquiat have I been so pleasantly surprised by familiar faces and wonderful performances.
Ed Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, John Goodman, Luke Wilson, Jeff Bridges, Christian Slater, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, Penelope Cruz, Mickey Rourke, just to name a few!!

To top it all off there are about five or six full length Bob Dylan songs to be heard.

Watch this movie. If you don't want to buy it, come over and watch it with me any night of the week.

If you are familiar with Bob Dylan's history and the songs he wrote, you will understand that "Masked and Anonymous" was not intended to be typical Hollywood fare. Dylan continues to express himself, but this time in a movie. "Masked and Anonymous" is just the type of movie I would expect from Dylan; it is excellent! He made the movie to express his viewpoint and to show his style of moviemaking. There is a message in the movie just as there are messages in his songs. The movie was not intended to be a huge commercial success, just as he never wrote a song intending it to be a huge commercial success.

Keep in mind Dylan has received two honorary PhD's including one from Princeton. He has also been nominated many times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and Poetry. If you want lighthearted top 40 tunes or cookie cutter box office success movies, look elsewhere.

I also highly recommend Dylan's new autobiography "Chronicles."