Masked and Anonymous (2003)

A singer, whose career has gone on a downward spiral, is forced to make a comeback to the performance stage for a benefit concert.

Director:

Larry Charles

Writers:

Bob Dylan, Larry Charles

Stars:

Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Dylan	...	Jack Fate
Jeff Bridges	...	Tom Friend
Penélope Cruz	...	Pagan Lace
John Goodman	...	Uncle Sweetheart
Jessica Lange	...	Nina Veronica
Luke Wilson	...	Bobby Cupid
Angela Bassett	...	Mistress
Steven Bauer	...	Edgar
Michael Paul Chan	...	Guard
Bruce Dern	...	Editor
Ed Harris	...	Oscar Vogel
Val Kilmer	...	Animal Wrangler
Cheech Marin	...	Prospero
Chris Penn	...	Crew Guy #2
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Soldier

Storyline

Against the backdrop of a nation on the brink of revolution, Uncle Sweetheart and Nina Veronica are slimy promoters planning a benefit concert. They desire the services of legendary singer Jack Fate, and soon Fate is sprung from jail. A rock journalist investigates the concert, attempting to determine just who will benefit. Revolution may be raging outside the arena, but Jack Fate and the benefit concert play on as planned.

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Plot Keywords:

concert | singer | revolution | journalist | jail | 

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Taglines:

Are you humble before God?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Monolith [pl] Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 2003 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Anónimos

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$30,783 (USA) (25 July 2003)

Gross:

$533,344 (USA) (12 December 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Destiny Productions, George Square Holdings

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in just twenty days. Utilizing digital video, Larry Charles was able to shoot up to eight pages of script a day.

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Goofs

When Nina Veronica meets the TV executives at the television studio, the liquor bottles in the center of the table change position and number in almost every shot where they are visible.

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Quotes

Drunk: Do I need to ring a bell to get a refill? You can see my glass is empty.
Bobby Cupid: Hey, man, the glass is always empty. So is the spot on the counter where the money's supposed to be.

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Connections

References The Fugitive Kind (1959)

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Soundtracks

"On a Night Like This"
Written by Bob Dylan
Performed by Los Lobos
Produced by Los Lobos
Engineered by Mark Johnson
Courtesy of Mammoth Records

User Reviews

Johnny's in the Basement

What could go wrong with a movie that features Bob Dylan playing some fun tunes, leading actors John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Jeff Bridges and Penelope Cruz, and bit parts by Christian Slater, Ed Harris, Angela Basset, Mickey Rourke and Val Kilmer? Well, let's start with a script penned by Bob Dylan that is easily as ineffable as, say, Subterranean Homesick Blues. If you know why the man in the coonskin cap wants eleven dollar bills (and you only got ten) then maybe you understood this movie. The rest of us struggled with mundane dialogue, disjointed vignettes, thinly veiled allusions to Dylan's life, some sort of statement on revolution, and perhaps an admission by Dylan himself that even he doesn't have a clue as to what most of his songs mean. Maybe if I saw this film another 2-3 times I would unravel the deeper meaning, peel back the layers of symbolism, and better grasp the metaphors that give deeper significance to the movie. On the other hand, it's been 35 years and I still don't know why I should hang around an ink well or watch the parking meters.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed this movie. But the fact is, I rarely laughed, certainly didn't cry, and I didn't really care about any of the characters. I could barely follow the plot line. And I didn't understand most of what was lurking under the surface. None of the actors appeared to have clue as to what was going on either. But then, maybe that's what Dylan meant all along . Maybe, but you shouldn't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.