An encyclopedic knowledge of Dylan's life would enrich this film to a great degree.  Without it, the myriad of storylines will watch merely as vignettes that have little to do with one another, and you'll spend your viewing experience confused and frustrated.  As a result, you'll likely walk away hating the film.

I'm Not There, therefore, sparks an interesting debate about what is the audience's responsibility when witnessing a film.  Is art a failure if it appeals to only a narrow segment of the viewing public (those with an intimate knowledge)?  Or is it a success in that it's brave enough to transcend "common" understanding?

For me, I'm Not There is a reminder of the modern relevance of Aristotelian dramatic structure.  Viewers require more substance than pretty vignettes and famous people.  Plot, conflict, rising action, *one* identifiable character the audience can root for or even hate...  At least one of these things is required.  Without it, two hours in front of a moving picture with no real through-line is wasted time that brings only confusion.  And the purpose of the art fails.

Perhaps what confused me most was the fact that the film was advertised as all of these actors playing Bob Dylan, but when the characters are introduced within the film, they're introduced as Billy the Kid, Woodie Guthrie, Arthur Rimbaud...  I understand that each of these characters is intended to reflect an aspect of Dylan's personality, but the film failed to tie them together for me.  I needed a reveal of some kind in the end...a pay-off that was never given.

Worth noting - the cinematography is gorgeous.  And very strong performances by an enormous cast of characters.  Christian Bale turns in what might be the performance of his career as Jack Rollins.  Bruce Greenwood's Keenan Jones is also a great performance in a small role.  And, of course, Blanchett.  But we've come to expect brilliance of her, no matter what she does...

Like I said, with an intimate knowledge of Dylan's life, you may have an entirely different experience of the film.  There is definitely quality here; it could very well be the most artful thing you've ever seen.  But don't expect a story.