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I'm Not There (2007) DVD Review
I'm Not There (2007) DVD Credits:
I'm Not There (2007) Directed by:
Todd Haynes
I'm Not There (2007) Written by:
Todd Haynes
I'm Not There (2007) Cast:
Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Ben Wishaw
I'm Not There (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
I'm Not There (2007) DVD Release Date:
5th May 2008
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I'm Not There (2007) Synopsis:

The film follows seven characters, each embodying a different aspect of Bob Dylan's life story and music.

I'm Not There (2007) DVD Review:

I don’t like Nirvana. It is very difficult for me to say this because besides the monumental critical success of the band and the fact that they changed rock for my generation but also because I was nearly booed out of a History of Rock& Roll class for expressing this exact preference. The thing is, I realize that it is just a preference. I am certain that if I were to spend the time examining the music of this generation-defining grunge band from the 1990s, I would find the brilliance and significance behind the music. I just don’t particularly like the music enough to examine it, so instead I resign to the fact that they may be great despite the fact that I prefer other music. I feel the same way about Todd Haynes, director of I’m Not There. I’m certain there are many cases that can be made for the brilliance of Haynes and his films (Safe, Far From Heaven), but I simply and strongly prefer other directors, and despite many brilliant sequences and nuanced performances I found myself loathing the pretentious style of I’m Not There.

That being said, I can focus on the elements I did enjoy about the film. I’m Not There is compiled as a series of seemingly random segments of six people playing different segments or portions taken from Bob Dylan’s music and life. The catch is that none of them are called Bob Dylan and none of the segments connect directly, nor are they told in any chronological order. Instead the film drifts through segments, semi-documentary and semi-biography at moments, while pure art film nonsense at others. Each performance is incredibly personal and remarkably touching, but the construction of these segments into a film is baffling and often seemingly incoherent. Still, it is easy to get lost in the particular segments and performances, capturing the important moments in Dylan’s life even if never specifically saying his name.

There are more than a few noteworthy performances in this film, including The Dark Knight co-stars, Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, each playing the same man in different segments. Bale is convincing as always, especially in the award ceremony scene in which he becomes extremely drunk before his acceptance speech. Heath Ledger is also obviously notable, if not in a bitter-sweet reminder that there are only so many performances of his left unseen. Richard Gere is also surprisingly engaging, if not a strange choice in some regards, but the actress to receive the most attention has been Cate Blanchett, who received an Oscar nomination for this performance. Not only is all of the hype over her performance well deserved, but it also played with the gender-bending rules tackled in the past by many films, one of which seems hinted at in a significant shot from Sally Potter’s Orlando with Blanchett looking directly at the camera.

The Two-Disc Collector’s Edition has the film on the first disc along with a commentary track with Haynes, along with a unique and beneficial “On-Screen Song Lyrics” which show the lyrics from the Dylan songs as they are relevant. There is also song selection as an alternative to chapter selection, which becomes irrelevant with a film like this. there is also an introduction on the first disc, but a remainder of the special features are on the second disc. Disc two has a number of deleted scenes as well as even more extended and alternate scenes and outtakes. There is also footage from the auditions, which is really fascinating. There is also a featurette about the soundtrack, an interview with Haynes, a number of galleries and countless information on Dylan’s career.

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I'm Not There (2007) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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