- Actors: Leonard Cohen, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Kate McGarrigle
- Director: Lian Lunson
- Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: PG-13
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Release Date: February 7, 2017
- Run Time: 103 minutes
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man is a kind of
hybrid documentary/concert video, jumping back and forth between two different
mediums. While both have value in the overall presentation, I often felt myself
longing for one or the other. A documentary without the constant interruption
of a tribute concert might have felt more focused, just as there is a desire
for an uninterrupted presentation of the performances. It also would not have
hurt the documentary about Leonard Cohen to hear a few more of his songs
actually sung by him.
At the same
time, the impact of Cohen can be felt, even when his songs are sung by other
musicians. He was a poet in the way he approached songwriting, and the words
that he was so careful about choosing still have power when used by other
performers. In some ways, this makes the concert footage far more successful
than any of the biographical information or talking heads discussing his impact
on the music world. It doesn’t hurt that the musicians covering his songs for
the tribute concert have a personal connection to the songs and his work.
The live
performances captured for the film were taken from a tribute concert organized
by producer Hal Willner in Sydney, Australia, in January of 2005. Many of these
same performers had participated in similar concerts in the United States and
in the United Kingdom, so their interpretations of Cohen’s classic songs are
often shaded with their own personalities. This concert includes performances
from Rufus Wainwright (“Everybody Knows,” “Chelsea Hotel #2,” and
“Hallelujah”), Martha Wainwright (“The Traitor”), Beth Orton and Jarvis Cocker
(“Death of a Ladies Man”), and Antony Hegarty (“If It Be Your Will”).
The documentary
doesn’t have nearly as many performances from its main subject as fans may hope
for, but there is one video of Cohen performing “Tower of Song” with U2. Bono
also provides some of the most flattering commentary on Cohen’s work, along
with a handful of other music icons singing his praise. The only problem with
these interviews is that they always seem to be interrupting a song. The same
could be said of the biographical information, which includes archival footage
from Cohen’s past. By attempting to do too much with the film, director Lian
Lunson always seems to be pulling the audience away from something interesting.
What she is pulling focus onto may also be of interest, but it still often
gives the movie a disjointed feeling.
Despite some
heavy stylized methods used for the editing process, the main reason for an
upgrade to Blu-ray must be the improvements in sound. The special features from
the DVD release have also been transferred over to the Blu-ray release,
including a director’s audio commentary, a 4-minute conversation with Cohen
that may just be additional footage from his documentary interview, and
additional concert footage. There are four songs included in the additional
concert footage, excluded in part or entirely from the film itself.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 6.5/10
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