Bob Dylan may have been one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, but “Masked and Anonymous,” proves that screenplays just aren’t his bag.

Music-based films are familiar territory for producer Nigel Sinclair, who recently headed the Martin Scorsese-directed Dylan biography “No Direction Home” and is now involved in a project highlighting the tragic death of The Who drummer, Keith Moon.

But the movie still feels like a Dylan soapbox. His character, Jack Fate, returns home to a revolution-torn country to perform a benefit concert. Fate personifies Dylan: a past-his-prime country/folk/rock singer, once known for his musical statements, now barely known at all. Through a dizzy mix of bad plot and cameos (Val Kilmer’s role as a street bum, for example) the film’s only saving grace are Dylan’s musical performances and the beautiful renditions of some of his classic work.