Review of Masked and Anonymous (2003) by Mike B — 18 Feb 2004

Keep in mind before reading this review that Bob Dylan can do no wrong in my eyes. I am an obsessed fan, so much so that he's all I listen to anymore. I named my son Dylan. I'm still searching for the perfect name from a Dylan song to name my daughter(when she comes).

This film was amazing. It's easy to walk your way in with a cynical mind and dismiss the film. You could say it doesn't make sense, that it goes nowhere, that there is no message. You could call it a mess, a waste of talent. You could do that, but you'd be wrong.

Go in with an open mind and see what you find. Larry Charles is quoted as saying that the one thing Bob Dylan taught him was that the path is the destination. The result is irrelevant. This is the center of the film itself. It's a journey, a journey through life. The entire film is open-ended, a statement on life and the human race and it's inevitable apocalyptic conclusion. But remember, it's the journey that matters. Don't watch it with a normal frame of mind. Don't expect a typical film experience. It's like a Lynch film in that respect, except even Lynch gives you more of an answer than this film does.

Bob Dylan must have had a lot to do with the music placement in the film, because it was flawless. Opening with "My Back Pages" was a stroke of genius. I will say this though: Where the hell was "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"? His most apocalyptic song, written during the Bay of Pigs, when Bob wasn't sure if it would be the last song he ever wrote. He put his entire soul into that song. At a time when there seemed to be little hope, he managed to keep it optimistic. That song epitomizes what this film is all about.

Anyway I'm rambling. The performances were superb. From John Goodman to Jeff Bridges to Luke Wilson to the brief appearance of Ed Harris, every person involved seemed to understand what they were doing without understanding the picture. Bob Dylan himself was as good as he could possibly be. If I have one criticism, it's that Bob Dylan has two facial expressions: eyebrows up and eyebrows down. But what can you expect from someone with no acting ability whatsoever.

The film works because it doesn't take sides. Even the rebels in the film who oppose the government are shown as violent and cruel. There is an even keel there, no clear cut answer. This is a mirror of Bob himself, someone who shys away from the spotlight. He never claimed to have any answers. When he was young and famous, often he would tell reporters wild stories of a life he never lived, never letting them into his personal world. This is reflected inthe film and in his character Jack Fate, with his unwillingness to answer Jeff Bridges questions in the film. Everything is open to interpretation, and neither Bob nor this film pretend to have any answers.

The script is tight, bordering on genius in certain moments. There are times when it becomes a bit too preachy and overbearing, but for the most part it's filled with potential lyrics, moments of poetry. And like his music, I always tell people that even if my head doesn't fully understand, my heart knows it makes sense. There are some definite words of wisdom here, things that will stick with me for days after.

Pay attention to the journey and you will enjoy the film. Don't look for a beginning, middle, and end. Is that what life is like? Look for moments, moments you can take with you. Listen to what this film has to show you and then do one of two things: Either turn your nose up at it or give it a good moment of thought. Let it sit for awhile, even if you don't fully understand it. Like Jack Fate says: "Sometimes it's not enough to know the meaning of things, sometimes we have to know what things don't mean as well.".