Masked and Anonymous

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Masked and Anonymous

PG-13

Released Jul 24, 2003

1h 52m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

26%

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82 Reviews

45%

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2,500+ Ratings

A nation wracked with civil war and social unrest is looking forward to a giant charity concert, organized by deceptive concert promoter Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman), who plans on raking in huge sums of money for himself from the event. Headlining is Jack Fate (Bob Dylan), a legendary musician serving time in prison, who is released with Sweetheart's help. Meanwhile, journalist Tom Friend (Jeff Bridges) investigates the corrupt concert and tries to unmask the truth to the public.

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Critics Consensus

Unintelligible and self-indulgent Bob Dylan vehicle.

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Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

Dylan does about a dozen songs with his tight juke-joint band, and it's worth sitting through the rest of the nonsense for both the music and for Jeff Bridges, in Fisher King mode as Dylan's nemesis.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

Only the scenes of Dylan on stage really hold the attention.

Rated: 1/5

Dec 30, 2006

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Lou Lumenick

New York Post

A strong contender for the worst movie of the century.

Rated: 0/4

Nov 9, 2003

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Luke Buckmaster

Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)

I love those long, windy speeches—not the kind of dialogue one’s accustomed to hearing in movies, and, while they contain noticably Dylanesque flourishes, not the kind we’re accostomed to from his writing either.

Jan 25, 2025

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Had I caught this atrocity back in 2003 when it was initially released, it would have seriously challenged The Cat in the Hat and Bad Boys II for one of the top spots on my 10 Worst list.

Rated: 1/4

Mar 14, 2020

Full Review

Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

Bloated by self-regard, Masked and Anonymous is the essence of the self-aggrandizing benefit concerts it weakly parodies.

Feb 4, 2020

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Douglas Oliver S

Absolutely a strange thing this is. Somehow it makes sense. Just love the moxie to make this thing. It''l be an artifact for sure as Dylan will be.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

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Agatha C

A Collage worth watching several times. It's fun and inventive.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/21/23

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Dru K

As a Dylan fan, especially of his Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft/Modern Times period, I'm glad I watched this. Otherwise, it's skippable. The Time Out Of Mind songs in use are sublime. I also enjoyed the star studded cameos, and Jeff Bridges is always a sight to behold. I also loved the production design, this unnamed, presumably fictional war torn country in which this takes place could have been a Terry Gilliam creation. Come to think of it, in Gilliam's hands this could have been a reasonably enjoyable movie. Otherwise, it was impossible to follow, the writing tiresome, and then ending nonsensical. But Dylan completists, enjoy!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/21/23

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Jerod S

Put me out of my misery. Bob Dylan fans, get in line. But if your ears work like mine, you'll realize he can't sing or act and this movie is about as dumb as they come.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/22/23

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Audience Member

Typically, against the flow, I rather liked this. Mad and clearly flawed, but fun, unusual and some great people and cameos.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

I think that the critics who pan this have absolutely no idea of art. Bob Dylan is an artist folks and this movie is one of his masterpieces

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

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Larry Charles

Director

Bob Dylan

Jack Fate

Jeff Bridges

Tom Friend

Penélope Cruz

Pagan Lace

John Goodman

Uncle Sweetheart

Angela Bassett

Mistress

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Synopsis

A nation wracked with civil war and social unrest is looking forward to a giant charity concert, organized by deceptive concert promoter Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman), who plans on raking in huge sums of money for himself from the event. Headlining is Jack Fate (Bob Dylan), a legendary musician serving time in prison, who is released with Sweetheart's help. Meanwhile, journalist Tom Friend (Jeff Bridges) investigates the corrupt concert and tries to unmask the truth to the public.

Director: Larry Charles
Producer: Nigel Sinclair, Jeff Rosen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: BBC, Marching Band Productions, Spitfire Films
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Violence|Some Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 24, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $533.3K
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround

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