Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man

Buy This Item Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man by Lions Gate  Available from Amazon  $12.99  on 11-29-2008     Sure to please both die-hard Cohen fans and the newly initiated, this film is full of captivating music and offers an intimate portrait of a truly singular artist, poet, songwriter, cultural icon. Reader Reviews There is something about Leonard Cohen that seems just right for me. Lian Lunson's 2006 documentary titled Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is about the life and career of Canadian song lyricist/poet Leonard Cohen, and it helps verify to me that my lifetime fascination with Cohen is because he seems to write and sing as if he has no choice. It is just part of who he is and what he must do. Cohen writes songs like we would need to eat, it is id-driven; he simply needs it for sustenance. In some ways listening to, understanding, and connecting to Cohen's words and music is as equally an aggressive impulse for me as a fan. He was inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame last night. I gave up on the legitimacy of the Rock N' Roll Hall a Fame a while ago but they gain points for honoring Cohen, perhaps this means they finally give Tom Waits his due? Anyway, rather than sit through boring brown-nosing of what I see as mediocre talents like John Mellencamp and Madonna, I decided to just watch Lou Reed gloat over how great Cohen is and then see Damien Rice belt out a nice version of Hallelujah (a song best covered by the late Jeff Buckley). Then I opted to throw in this little documentary. To my surprise I was in the prefect mood for it and so I decided to review it after a positive viewing experience. The first time I saw this it seemed to drag at a snail's pace but still kept my attention, so take that for what it is and know it is my primary justification for a less than perfect rating. It is very important to note that this movie really is for Cohen fans, or at least fans of some of the artists who appear in the film singing his songs at a tribute show at the Sydney Opera House. In fact, if you like Cohen but not some of the performers you may be frustrated because the film shows primarily covers versions of his songs. Some of the complete performances include Nick Cave singing the title track, Beth Orton singing "Sisters of Mercy", Rufus and Martha Wainwright singing various tracks, Teddy Thompson doing multiple songs, and perhaps my favorite performance, Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons singing "If it Be Your Will" with great passion. Cohen also performs with U2 at the end of the film and several additional performances that appear on the film's soundtrack are available as extras on the DVD. If none of that interests you then you might want to pass, but I happen to think Cohen is one of best song lyricists I've ever heard and this documentary really tries to focus on how he writes and what inspires him.

Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man Available from Amazon Price: $12.99 Updated on 11-29-2008.

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