Masked and Anonymous (2003) on Netflix
PG-1320031h 52mComedyDramaMusic
In a country torn by civil war, promoter Uncle Sweetheart arranges a charity concert and has singer Jack Fate released from prison to headline it. Journalist Tom Friend investigates.
- Netflix2.7/5
- IMDb5.3/105,274 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes24%
Trailer
Plot summary
Civil war and social unrest have left a country in ruins, and two promoters, Uncle Sweetheart and Nina Veronica, see a chance to profit. They are putting together a benefit concert and want the legendary singer Jack Fate at the top of the bill. Sweetheart arranges for Fate to leave prison early so that he can perform. Fate describes himself simply as a singer, maybe nothing more, and he offers no solutions to the disorder around him; he says he stopped trying to explain everything long ago. In the streets the fighting goes on while the show is prepared, and a journalist, Tom Friend, asks who the concert is really meant to benefit.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Masked and Anonymous (2003)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- At their first meeting, Bob Dylan opened an ornate box and dumped scraps of hotel stationery from Norway, Belgium and Brazil on the table, each carrying a scribbled line or a name such as "Uncle Sweetheart". Those scraps of paper inspired much of Masked and Anonymous's story and script.
- Bob Dylan and Larry Charles's project was first given the green light as an HBO television show, but Dylan left the meeting saying he did not want to do it anymore because it was too slapsticky. Charles stayed on as co-writer and director, and it evolved into the film Masked and Anonymous.
- Many of the film's actors, among them Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Penélope Cruz, Ed Harris, Mickey Rourke and Angela Bassett, worked for scale (union wages) for the chance to appear alongside Bob Dylan.
- According to director Larry Charles, 20 or more songs were recorded for Masked and Anonymous, since he told Dylan he could play anything he wanted. Most were recorded on July 18, 2002, at Ray-Art Studios in Canoga Park, California, and only a handful made it into the film.
- Bob Dylan intended to play "All Along the Watchtower" in the film until the last moment and then decided not to, director Larry Charles says in the interview he gave for the DVD.
