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I'm Not There Review

Release Date: Nov 21, 2007
Rated: language, some sexuality and nudity
Runtime: 2 hr. 15 min.
Genres: Art House/Foreign, Documentary, Drama
Director:Todd Haynes
Cast:Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

5.0

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… a very cool puzzle you have to put together. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

4.0

73

out of 100

Metascore^®
Generally favorable reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
100

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
I'm Not There lets you hear it again, more majestically than ever.

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50

out of 100

Variety Todd McCarthy
Stylistically audacious in the way it employs six different actors and assorted visual styles to depict various aspects of the troubadour's life and career, the film nevertheless lacks a narrative and a center, much like the "ghost" at its core.

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50

out of 100

USA Today Claudia Puig
It's not nearly as enjoyable as one of his rambling, meditative songs, though perhaps it is aspiring to be the cinematic equivalent. Give me "Tangled Up in Blue" any day over this incoherent, tangled trip.

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70

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Ray Bennett
The star of the show is undoubtedly Blanchett, who has great fun playing Dylan as a showboat who quite knowingly goes about creating his reputation for rebellious independence.

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80

out of 100

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano
A challenging film, one that I suspect can only benefit from multiple viewings. The success of its approaches varies, but its intent is unfailingly interesting.

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88

out of 100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
What Haynes does is take away the reassuring segues that argue everything flows and makes sense, and to show what's really chaos under the skin of the film.

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90

out of 100

The New York Times A.O. Scott
Among its many achievements, Todd Haynes's I'm Not There hurls a Molotov cocktail through the facade of the Hollywood biopic factory.

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 15+

Well-acted, mature Dylan biopic for big fans only.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this experimental meditation on the "many lives of Bob Dylan" will go straight over the head of most younger viewers. Older teens who've been exposed to Dylan's music may be curious about the drama, but its metaphoric nature means it probably won't appeal to most of them -- or to non-fan adults, for that matter. Without a fair amount of knowledge of Dylan's music and life, the film will seem confusing and slow. There are a few love scenes and shots of naked breasts and buttocks, not to mention one quick full-frontal flash of a post-shower Heath Ledger. Expect some language (standard R-rated stuff), a bit of '60s pill-popping, and lots of smoking.

Families can talk about the film's messages about artists, fame, music, and authenticity. What points do you think the director was trying to make? How is the film vastly different than other musicians' biopics?

The good stuff

Messages: Suggests that even in a celebrity-obsessed culture, you never really know who an artist is, as he may be various different versions of himself all at once.

What to watch for

Violence: Cartoonish image of young Woody being swallowed by a whale and a fantasy sequence of Jude and his band machine-gunning the crowd at a concert (it's a metaphor for Dylan going electric). Disturbing scene in which a murdered young woman is propped up in her coffin for everyone at a funeral to see. A child pets a dead horse.
Sex: A couple of artistic lovemaking scenes -- in one, breasts are visible. There's a glimpse of a full-frontal Heath Ledger as he emerges out of the shower. Several kisses and three images of men's buttocks.
Language: More prevalent in some sequences than others. Words include "s--t," "a--hole," "c--ksucker," "tit," "f--k," "bitch," "p---y," "goddamn," etc.
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Pill-popping during '60s mod scenes; cigarette smoking throughout. Minor social drinking.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

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Fan Reviews provided by

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