Yahoo Movies How A Complete Unknown's live singing turned Timothee Chalamet into Bob Dylan
Timothee Chalamet could be on the way to the Oscars with his performance as Bob Dylan, and his live singing is a big reason for the movie's success.
A Complete Unknown wasn't always going to be a slam-dunk. Music biopics can be something of a controversial proposition — just look at the reaction to Bohemian Rhapsody or Back to Black — and Bob Dylan fans aren't afraid of speaking their mind. But, with Timothee Chalamet as the folk music icon, the film is winning critical plaudits and Oscars buzz.
Some of that acclaim can be put down to the brave creative decision to record all of the musical performances in the film live on set. Chalamet did all of his own singing, as well as learning to play the guitar and the harmonica to channel Dylan's rise to fame in the 1960s folk scene.
The history of live singing in movies is mixed, with Tom Hooper's 2012 take on Les Misérables heavily criticised to the extent that one Daily Telegraph writer said she walked out of the screening. Meanwhile, other examples — including last year's show-stopper Wicked — have turned the technique into a virtue.
A Complete Unknown director James Mangold is no stranger to the approach either, having recorded Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-nominated work in Walk the Line live on set during the musical sequences. The rawness of the approach was part of what made that film fly in the way that it did.
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But live vocals weren't originally on the cards for Chalamet. He pre-recorded all of the 40 songs he performs in the movie and Mangold planned to use those versions — which can be heard on the soundtrack album — in certain scenes. Speaking to Variety, he explained that the early sequence in which Chalamet performs Song to Woody in a hospital was a key moment in embracing live sound.
“We shot that in the first five or six days. And there was a whole backstage thing with Timmy saying, ‘I want to try it live'." Mangold said the sound and music direction team weren't convinced, but Chalamet's performance "proved the brilliance of the method". He added: "I remember sitting there eight feet from him as he did it, and I remember thinking ‘holy s***'. That could not have happened if there was an earwig in his ear."
In a behind-the-scenes video discussing the film's musical approach, Chalamet explained that his work during the five-year production delay convinced him he could do it. He said: "It was important for me to sing and play live because, if I can actually do it, why should there be an element of artifice here? I'm proud that we took that leap."
Tod Maitland, production sound mixer, said that everything in the film was done without earpieces or timing mechanisms. The production crew also used period-appropriate microphones and instruments where possible in order to accentuate the authenticity of the music.
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Mangold further explained in the featurette that the live approach added something special to a depiction of this particular musical era. "It's a movie about music that is unadorned and authentic," he said. "You could feel the thing working for everyone."
Watch: A Complete Unknown cast and crew discuss live singing
The live approach, though more authentic and raw for the performers, did occasionally create headaches for the production team, who had to make sure all of that very real music could be captured. It became very tricky for Maitland to hide a microphone on Chalamet's person, especially due to Dylan holding his guitar higher than most.
“I talked to Timmy early on, and I said: ‘The only way that we’re going to be able to do this is if I can wire you and your hair'," Maitland told Variety. "The microphone would then come off of his forehead and go right down past his mouth, right to the guitar.”
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But all of this worked beautifully for the movie, which really spotlights the bursting, precocious talent that sent Dylan right to the top. And it's a terrific showcase for Chalamet who, between this and Wonka, is becoming one of Hollywood's most reliable song-and-dance men. This time, it could take him all the way to the Oscars.
A Complete Unknown is in UK cinemas from 17 January.
