Masked And Anonymous (2003)

25% of critics liked it
(77 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(3,397 ratings)

Enigmatic rock legend Bob Dylan stars as an enigmatic rock legend (talk about a casting coup!) in this purposefully eccentric satiric comedy. Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) is an unscrupulous concert promoter who has figured out a way to cash in on the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that plague… More Enigmatic rock legend Bob Dylan stars as an enigmatic rock legend (talk about a casting coup!) in this purposefully eccentric satiric comedy. Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) is an unscrupulous concert promoter who has figured out a way to cash in on the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that plague his nation, which is being torn apart by civil war and political revolution. Sweetheart has decided he will stage a massive benefit concert, though the unnamed charity would appear to be his checking account. Sweetheart hires television producer Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange) to help promote the show and sell it as a nation-wide cable-cast event, while Sweetheart pulls a few strings to arrange for the perfect headliner -- Jack Fate (Bob Dylan), a legendary songwriter who is currently serving a term in prison. With Fate out from behind bars, Sweetheart and Veronica set out to sell their grand spectacle to the world, though one determined investigative journalist (Jeff Bridges) has set out to throw a spenner into the works of Uncle Sweetheart and his epic fundraiser. Marking the directorial debut of comedy writer Larry Charles, Masked and Anonymous also features Penelope Cruz and Luke Wilson; the film was shown in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Larry Charles
Written By: Sergei Petrov, Rene Fontaine
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 25, 2003 Limited
On DVD: Feb 17, 2004
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Lou Lumenick, New York Post
A strong contender for the worst movie of the century.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
A willful mess made interesting by the talent that it attracted.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Far from the greatest story ever told.
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic
Absolutely no saving graces here.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A fascinating mess.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
The stellar but misguided cast ... is simply painful to watch as the doomed vehicle it's trapped in comes whistling toward a fiery crash landing.
Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
Only the scenes of Dylan on stage really hold the attention.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...read as a collection of moments, mortared together with some stirring music, both from Dylan and his band and from others on the soundtrack.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
Above all, it's an exercise in cryptic Dylan self-mythology.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
The great neglected movie of 2003, a rambunctious, provocative, genre-defying, and constantly surprising experiment.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
Watching the film is like listening to Art Bell babble about UFOs -- it seems always on the verge of making a point but never gets there.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The music was fine, the film wasn't.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Just because the movie is largely unintelligible doesn't make it unwatchable, though sometimes it's artful in the same way a train wreck can be graceful.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
A nonsensical vanity project for singer Bob Dylan that wastes the talents of a lot of folks who should have known better.
Jurgen Fauth, About.com
With Sixties vigor and carefree looseness, the legendary musician and poet has given us a late-career "Purple Rain" that turns out to be a great bad movie.
Richard C. Walls, Orlando Weekly
The idea of a movie where Dylan essentially plays himself sounds kind of promising. Maybe someday that movie will get made. It's not this one.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Could just as well be titled 'Masters of War' or 'Tombstone Blues' or 'Everything Is Broken.' At every cut in the action, you expect a gray flannel dwarf to scream...

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Unknown H

Another movie that not many people seem to have heard of or seen. A low budget one week wonder shot by the BBC with a charitable cast that reportedly worked for free, I can guarantee that you have never seen a movie quite like this one. Bordering on a metaphorical bio-pic of my hero… More
Another movie that not many people seem to have heard of or seen. A low budget one week wonder shot by the BBC with a charitable cast that reportedly worked for free, I can guarantee that you have never seen a movie quite like this one. Bordering on a metaphorical bio-pic of my hero Bob Dyaln (Jack Fate) and hovering above the apocalyptic backdrop of a war torn (supposedly third world) country, Masked and Anonymous analyses the true nature of human behaviour. Starring Mickey Rourke, Jeff Bridges, Bob Dylan, Ed Harris, Luke Wilson, Val Kilmer and John Goodman just to name a few, this film is disturbing real and aside from Bob singing through out, sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish, this movie is acceptionally memorable and deserving of praise that it rarely receives.
Steve B

Strange, allegorical film about the state of politics in America... I think. Almost defies review.

Cast

            Bob Dylan as Jack Fate

            Jeff Bridges as Tom Friend

            Penelope Cruz as Pagan Lace

            John Goodman as Uncle Sweetheart

            Jessica Lange as Nina Veronica

            Luke Wilson as Bobby Cupid

            Angela Bassett as Mistress

            Steven Bauer
            
            Michael Paul Chan
            
            Bruce Dern
            
            Laura Harring
            
            Ed Harris
            
            Val Kilmer
            
            Cheech Marin
            
            Chris Penn
            
            Giovanni Ribisi
            
            Mickey Rourke as The President

            Richard C. Sarafian
            
            Christian Slater
            
            Susan Tyrrell
            
            Fred Ward
            
            Robert Wisdom
            
            Charlie Sexton
            
            Jon Sklaroff as Young Jack Fate

            Dan Frischman as Eddie Quicksand

            Tony Garnier
            
            George Recile
            
            Sam Sarpong as Blunt

            Reggie Lee
            
See full cast