Masked and Anonymous (2003)

I've heard a spectrum of descriptions when it comes to this film, even to the extent of it being labelled masturbatory - however if I could, I'd give it an 11.Bob Dylan and Larry Charles, two phenomenal storytellers in their own right, soak their self- contained dystopia in the kind of metaphor that would leave Wes Anderson and Tarantino stumped.Coen brothers favourites Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, Pre-AHS Jessica Lange and Angela Bassett, Penelope Cruz and Mickey Rourke with award-worthy performances, Val Kilmer and Giovanni Ribisi with the monologues of the decade. All that and the man himself, winding his way through his visual lyric, singing songs and just trying to make sense of it all.It's a weird one that triggers all sorts of reactions, and certainly raises a lot of questions - whether reflective of our own world views, or simply "why are we watching this at 2am?" Personally, I'd call this the cinematic equivalent of "Waiting for Godot"; a perfect reflection of the irrationality of 20th century dogma.By no means casual viewing, but a great one for moments of existential crises.

Bob Dylan has figured out one important fact: Sing simplistic songs and shut up. People will think you are a genius. Possibly even a God.This movie is a dreadful star vehicle for countless pretentious Hollywood people to tag themselves to the Bob Dylan legend (which is born out of thin air). It seems to me all the professional actors in this are a bunch of desperate direction-less people. Most of them by the way appear to be drunk or high on something else. Sad indeed.Bob is a genius in one single regard - no one has a better grasp on selling himself by NOT doing things.One of the many, many annoying things in this movie is the tendency to trivialize anything that is not "Bob Dylan music" and to turn the entire World into a prop or stooge for the sheer majesty and brilliance that is "Bob Dylan". Why, I would suggest to trademark "Bob Dylan" like some lemonade ... but I think it's already happened. In fact Bob is given a chance to comment on Zappa and Hendrix. They are similar enigmas, so why not take them on in the WWF (Who Writes the best .ucking music).One of the many low points is a black girl singing "Times they are a-changing"... I'm pretty sure this movie was sponsored by some U.N./Unicef/Hollywood conglomerate of detached people living in P.C.-Land.Just watch the scene where Bob and his band are on stage and he sings one trivial line over and over and a carefully selected crop of people from all around the World including by sheer coincidence Gandhi and The Pope stand in awe watching this holy miracle unfold. In one other telling scene in this botch the aforementioned Gandhi and The Pope are sitting side by side but wait ... Who is sitting in between? Why, it's Penelope Cruz! I think that is all you need to know about this piece of horse manure.Of course the movie ends exactly the way it should with Bob rambling about how things don't have to have a meaning etc. etc. etc.

Let's face it, this is not a great film. It meanders, the plot is thin, the acting is mixed and it's written like, well, like a Dylan song. If there were a category for long-form music videos, I would give it an 8 or a 9. Although it should be said, that if one is a Dylan fan, and if one was to wonder how Dylan would reflect on his fame and the burden of being Dylan - well, watch this movie. But watching him sit next to his dying father and looking 20 years older than the father himself is contrived and harder to believe than the plot itself. Dylan is not half bad as Fate, although his acting does not exactly convey much depth. But the songs are wonderful, some of the scenes are humorous and entertaining. The only real fault is the otherwise excellent John Goodman. Goodman simply doesn't have any real character to hold onto and he's simply playing a drunk with dialog. I have grown up with Dylan's music and this is not his worst piece of work, but it certainly will remain a curiosity and not a classic.

I rented this movie because it was said as a good musical movie and I was curious to see how Bob Dylan acted. But before putting the DVD I went on IMDb and seeing the cast I was really excited and became even more when I saw the below average rate it received, I really wanted to know how Penélope Cruz, Luke Wilson and mainly the Big Lebowski duo Jeff Bridges and John Goodman could, together, make a mediocre movie.The movie gave me about 110min to understand but I took about 20 (being positive). The rest of the movie was first spent hoping something would put emotions, good dialogs (because the "You got to look though the windshield not at it" did not really convince me) or at least interest in the movie. The last 30 min where past looking at when this movie would be over.I really do think it is just plain bad and that is why I only recommend the real Bob Dylan fans to perhaps think of maybe renting it someday.