Wednesday, June 18, 2008
I'm Your Man: Aspects of Leonard
I'm Your Man is concert film of the 2005 tribute to Leonard Cohen produced by Hal Wilner and it provides the opportunity for a pretty intimate and detailed biographical profile narrated by Cohen himself. When I first saw it about a year and half ago I was mostly impressed by this access to Cohen. This time I am really impressed with what is basically a three part collaboration by Cohen, Wilner, and the film's director, Lian Lunson.
Lunson is quite a talented director She uses the conventions of music concert film, biographical film, and music video grammar. Some of the concert sequences are amazingly stirring. Hal Wilner accessed a stellar group of the kinds of performers who not only sing will with a artful and artistic delivery, he provides a group of people who are seemingly in love with singing and great songs:Rufus and Martha Wainright, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Organ, the Handsome Family, the McGarrigle sisters, etc. And isn't that what you need to pay attention to a really great songwriter. And to create what results in what Cohen calls named one of his songs: A Tower of Song.
Tower of Song is the only one in the film performed by Cohen himself, the only full song that is not part of the actual tribute concert, and the only song in the film that U@ performs in. Bono only sings a bridge chorus and I dare say, he is actually a bit restrained. What is loveliest about this performance is The Edge's guitar work, lovely flowing with a kind of Chet Atkins attack to the song's melody.
I could watch this film just to see how Lunson handles transitions between interviews and concert sequences. One technique became kind of signature. At times through post production, she slows down the exits of performers at the end of their numbers. But it works, especially when it is followed by a cross-fade of sonic rumble into a black and white interview that creates a deep contrast with the warmly lit stage. And you are then in what Rufus Wainwright called Leonard Cohenland.
The stages of Leonard's life are revealed both by his songs and his commentary about Montreal, the music game, his life in the monestary. There is no doubt that he is a deep thinker and he knows he is talking for the record on a document. In a very memorable passion, he takes the opportunity to express his regrets on once telling a reporter years ago that his Chelsea Hotel was about Janis Joplin. He talks about how that was a major indiscretion, a very ungallant moment. "She wouldn't have minded, but my mother would."
I couldn't find much about director Lian Lunson except that she is quite beautiful and this is her most high profile project so far. Would another filmmaker (picture Martin Scorsese with his rapid fire questions in the Last Waltz or telling the story of Dylan or the stones) and get the same level of intimacy in his comments, observations and reminiscences, Because no matter how wonderful the music and the presentation, this film's most exceptional value will likely always be the rare chance to see Leonard Cohen and what I would coin as Cohenisms, and most are prety darned deep. For instance,
We somehow embrace the notion that this vale of tears is perfectable. And you are going to get it all straight. I found things became a lot easier when I no longer expected to win.
posted by well-executed buffet at 11:14 PM
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