I know Timothée Chalamet is capable of great performances (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women“), but I was still skeptical when I heard he would be playing one of my favorite musicians, Bob Dylan.

I went through a Dylan phase in high school and college, and “Simple Twist of Fate” is still one of my all-time favorite songs, plus Dylan’s memoir “Chronicles Vol. 1” is one of my favorite books.

Chalamet absolutely embodied the part, and I even forgot it was him playing Dylan at certain parts during “A Complete Unknown.”

The film, directed by “Walk the Line” helmer James Mangold, follows the first few years of Dylan’s career, from playing open mic nights in New York City to becoming a staple at the iconic Monterey Folk Festival alongside other legends including Joan Baez and Pete Seeger.

While a lot of the film rests on Chalamet’s shoulders, the supporting cast is equally outstanding, including Monica Barbaro as Baez, Edward Norton as Seeger, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, a fictionalized version of Dylan’s girlfriend Suze Rotolo.

What’s even more impressive is that Chalamet, Barbaro, Norton and Holbrook all perform as their characters as well. They all managed to portray these real life icons without it coming across as a caricature or simple mimicry.

As I’ve learned that Chalamet is also a big fan of Dylan, produced the film and has spent the last few years doing deep research (through a Q&A I attended last week at the Minnesota premiere of the film), my respect for his performance and this film as a whole has deepened.

“A Complete Unknown” is a moving portrait of an artist making his stamp on pop culture and all the highs and lows that come with it.

Rating: 4.5/5