I've always had a theory as to why most critics uniformly waxed eloquent whenever the late Ingmar Bergman would release a new film. Despite the fact that most of his works were so completely droll as to redefine the word tedious, I'm convinced critics stumbled over themselves to praise his films for fear of being perceived as lowbrow or pedestrian.

Thus, at the clear risk of putting myself in the pedestrian category, let me say that with the exception of several incredible performances, Todd Haynes's I'm Not There made me largely wish I wasn't either. While I certainly admire Mr. Haynes's boldness in using six different actors to create an impressionistic work of art centered around the life of the legendary Bob Dylan, the story was so fragmented that it left me far more frustrated than stimulated or entertained.

Haynes's faux documentary of Dylan comes off particularly lacking when compared to Julie Taymor's far more compelling Across the Universe. While both movies were told against the backdrop of the 1960's, with particular emphasis on the Vietnam War, Taymor's movie lit a fuse where Haynes simply could not keep his cinematic wick lit.

Quite frankly, I think the problem is not so much Haynes's innovative approach to his subject as the subject itself. Even though Dylan is played by six different actors, none of them using the name Bob Dylan, you come off with the feeling that, despite his musical genius, Dylan as a person is incredibly dull and largely uninteresting. I couldn't shake the feeling that a particularly unnerving version of Dante's seventh rung of hell would be one long dinner party where you had to sit next to Dylan for an eternity!

But in the end I must say that this movie was saved by several excellent performances, particularly that of Cate Blanchett. Her physical transformation into Dylan at his loopiest was stunning in every sense of the word. While Heath Ledger and Christian Bale make the most out of the little they were called upon to do, Ms. Blanchett's performance will in all probability be remembered at Oscar time. As if she wasn't recognized at the highest level of her craft already, this performance alone would make her legendary.

Those of us who came of age in the 60's remember quite well the many stoners who chemically alienated themselves from reality while using the word "man" in almost every sentence. Conversations repeatedly contained responses such as "How ya doin, man"; or "Hey man, what's up?"; or "Man, that's insane, man."

They were the precursors to today's vapid "Valley Girls" who have found a similar use for the word "like." No one could ever deny that Dylan has produced a greater body of work than any contemporary musician. Unfortunately, once the music is turned off, he's just, like, another trippin'stoner, man.