The biggest disappointment of the film is the Billy the Kid sequence, which takes place in a remote American town populated by surreal Dylanesque characters. While it�s visually engaging, the plot is clich�d. A rogue defender of the people is being pursued by the law and escapes with his little dog running loyally after him (eliciting groans from the viewers). The narrative of the Dylan-child Woody Guthrie is similarly Hollywoodish, but Marcus Carl Franklin manages to charm.

Heath Ledger puts in a decent performance, and we are entirely drawn in to a narrative of a failing relationship against the backdrop of a corrosive war. Christian Bale has weaker writing to work with, and his conversion from singer to Pastor seems reported rather insightful. Ben Whishaw, as Arthur Rimbaud, seamlessly renders the pompous but vulnerable philosophising of young artists, sucking on smokes and checking that you�re still looking at him.

Cate Blanchett was profound. Unlike Bale, she channels but never impersonates. Her light touch as Jude Quinn shows an impish but weathered artist, simultaneously courting and rejecting audiences. The film�s most memorable scene explores this complex relationship: we hear sounds of guns being cocked as he and his musicians plug in their instruments to turn a folk festival electric. They square their feet, grit their teeth and open fire on the audience. We believe he means it.

Jennifer Matthews is an American ex-pat teaching EFL in Cork. Her poetry has previously been published in Voices, Mslexia and Revival and she has published book reviews with Southword. Additionally she writes a monthly article about the English language for The Immigrant newspaper in Cork, Ireland.

© 2009 Laura Hird All rights reserved.