Starring
Leonard Cohen, Bono, The Edge, Nick Cave, Martha Wainwright, Rufus
Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton. Directed by Lian Lunson.
(2005, 105 min).
Confession
time...while I've heard of Leonard Cohen, aside from "Hallelujah" and a few twisted tunes that appeared in Natural Born Killers, I know almost nothing about him or his music.
A lot of my friends, mostly those whose tastes are slightly left of
the mainstream, mourned his recent passing. For them, this
documentary (posthumously released on Blu-Ray) will serve as a
bittersweet tribute. For others, a chance to sate their curiosity.
Leonard
Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film partially consisting of interviews with
Cohen himself and musicians - both renowned and obscure - who were
influenced by him. Cohen himself comes across as worldly,
soft-spoken and charming as he discusses how his life and
religious upbringing influenced his lyrics and poetry.
 |
| "Damn...forgot the words again." |
Interspersed
throughout is footage from a recent tribute concert featuring various
artists such as Nick Cave and Rufus Wainwright. Personally, I think including the performances was a mistake. Director
Lian Lunson obviously has a lot of respect for his subject, but this
would have been a better viewing (and learning) experience if it had focused exclusively on Cohen himself and saved the concert material for a separate project (perhaps a bonus supplement on this disc).
Still,
even though Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man didn't inspire me
to rush out and buy one of his records, I do have some new-found
respect for his work and talent. Since Cohen was never what one would
consider a "popular" artist, I imagine there's currently a
lot of other folks curious about this reclusive songwriter who's so
frequently name-dropped. And it probably goes without saying this
disc is a must-own for fans.
EXTRA
KIBBLES:
FEATURETTE:
"A CONVERSATION WITH LEONARD COHEN"
AUDIO
COMMENTARY BY THE DIRECTOR
4
PERFORMANCES FROM THE SAME TRIBUTE CONCERT
TRAILER
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW
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