Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2005)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Lian Lunson

Writer:

Lian Lunson (writer)

Release Date:

8 September 2006 (Finland)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

A documentary on the legendary singer-songwriter, with performances by those musicians he has influenced.

Plot Keywords:

Leonard Cohen | Poet | Songwriter | Music History | Rock Star

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Perla Batalla	...	Herself
Bono	...	Himself
Robert Burger	...	As himself
Nick Cave	...	Himself
Julie Christensen	...	Herself
Adam Clayton	...	Himself
Jarvis Cocker	...	Himself
Leonard Cohen	...	Himself
The Handsome Family	...	Themselves
Antony Hegarty	...	Himself
Anna McGarrigle	...	Herself
Kate McGarrigle	...	Herself
Larry Mullen Jr.	...	Himself
Beth Orton	...	Herself
Brett Sparks	...	Himself
Rennie Sparks	...	Herself
The Edge	...	Himself
Linda Thompson	...	Herself
Teddy Thompson	...	Himself
Martha Wainwright	...	Herself
Rufus Wainwright	...	Himself
Jo Weldon	...	Burlesque Beauty
Hal Willner	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related material.

Runtime:

Canada:98 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Ireland:G | Finland:S | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Con Artists Productions

Quotes:

Leonard Cohen: There is a beautiful moment in the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna. The general. The great general. He's standing in his chariot. And all the chariots are readied for war. And across the valley, he sees his opponents. And there he sees not just uncles and aunts and cousins...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#20.1)" (2007)

Ungainly hybrid does not serve Leonard Cohen well

This film was a disaster from start to finish. Interspersed with performances from "the next generation of beautiful losers" are interviews with Bono and The Edge as well as the performers themselves. This leaves little time for the clips of Leonard Cohen himself, who towers over everyone else in the film with his commanding yet gentle presence, wisdom and humor. The rest are too busy trying to canonize him as St. Leonard or as some Old Testament prophet. Many of the performances are forgettable over-interpretations (especially Rufus & Martha Wainright's) or bland under-achievements. Only Beth Orton and Anthony got within striking distance of Leonard's own versions by using a little restraint. Annoying little pseudo-avant-garde gestures are sprinkled throughout the film- like out of focus superimpositions of red spheres over many of the concert and interview shots, shaky blurred camera work, use of digital delay on some of Leonard Cohen's comments (making it harder to hear what's being said) and a spooky, pretentious low drone under a lot of the interview segments (an attempt at added gravitas?). For the real thing, see the Songs From The Life Of documentary produced by the BBC in 1988.