A review of Content and Geometry Miss an Appointment

[John K.]

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[lizzytysh]

Kudos, John.



Love,
Lizzay

[lazariuk]

I walked out on the McGarrigles 26 years ago, I had gone to see Leo Kottke who opened for her

I think that I would go to see anyone who Leo Kottke opened for.

[tomsakic]

ditto

[Bobbie]

I guess I have to ask the question I've been wondering about - did any here who are so critical of the artist performances in the film, IYM, also see any of the Hal Wilner tributes live?

Bobbie

[John K.]

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[linda_lakeside]

I did, courtesy of a fellow member. I think each piece of art, be it book, poem, film...should be judged on its own merit - not what came before or after, this is not about 'awards', one film...

We love Leonard, but he doesn't feel in any way obligated to make or do what 'we' want him to. He has his own agenda. If he has to 'make a buck', 'fill a contract'...so do we all.

Linda.

[BoHo]

Slim has been scared out of town.

Nope, nope, nope. But, in case you're wondering, John, Slim's returning in a Leer Jet this weekend (or sooner, depending on the weather, the boss, the worker-bee, sufficient fuel to make the journey, and the availabilty of an adequate vocabulary in the vicinity).

L, A, S, S
p.s. Bobbie's question is one I found myself asking as well; did Lunson "delete" portions of the permformances included because they weren't, in her opinion, up to snuff or, perhaps, because she felt none of the performances worthy of complete exposure in a project that had time and budget constraints bearing down upon it? Alternatively, was the decision hers or the editor's?
--
TOM SAKIC & JUDITH FITZGERALD @ LTAC:
http://www.attlc-ltac.org/Langs.htm
THE ITEM THAT HE SENT HER:
http://www.judithfitzgerald.ca/leonardcohen.html
ADAGIOS III — ELECTRA'S BENISON, BOUND!
http://www.oberonpress.ca/titles.pl?v=new
JUDITH FITZGERALD'S EVER-EVOLVING WRITESITE:
http://www.judithfitzgerald.ca/
LEONARD COHEN'S OPEN BOOK OF LONGING:
http://tinyurl.com/yno7z7
POET PARLIAMENTAEIRIAL JUDITH FITZGERALD:
http://tinyurl.com/38ssjq
THE AMERICAN BOOK REVIEW:
http://tinyurl.com/2h6op6
SUNITI NAMJOSHI'S BRIGHTSITE:
http://tinyurl.com/37jjvy

[linda_lakeside]

I only walked in on this news yesterday. It is life, it will be followed by the mighty and the mundane. ???

Misunderstood your ? on first reading, Bobbi: No - but what does it matter?

[linda_lakeside]

Author’s note: It was after Mrs. K. and I saw this movie that the Teenaged Ticket Guy provided me with the sage advice that I share in my Forum signature. But I digress.

I guess that's what I was trying to say last night, John it sounded naiive. To me, at this age...

[Tim]

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[linda_lakeside]

I've loved Leonard w/the greatest passion I've loved any artist - but hey! we're only human, LC is just as capable of looking 'bland' as Marlon Brando was (and did). Not taking anything 'away' from Leonard, but it's nice to know he can walk like a man thru his lesser films/records. DOALM??? That really got slammed by one and all. Nope - he's not a god, just a guy. No matter how much I admire him.

[tomsakic]

I think that the fact did someone see Willner's original show or not has nothing to do with Lunson's movie itself. (I hesitate to call it a film). The main problem obviously is that the movie doesn't know what its topic is - is it Willner's tribute (then I'd put it on pile of dozens of cover CDs and DVDs I listen to only once, if even then), or it's not as Leonard appears in it, but why he appears. First there's small segment with him which tends to look like documentary about him, but then many comments lose their relevance as they introduce the song, which is not sung by him (so the impression is that LC is there to introduce the songs [**and I said my strong objections to Willner's selection of songs in previous threads**], what's ridiculous. Also, as much many of covers are OK, it's simply not interesting for those interested in Leonard Cohen. Lunson said few times that at first this was teh filming of Willner's tribute and that the idea and opportunity to have LC inside came later. I guess that's why the concept is in mess and we have at least three direction where the movie is going (not to mention U2 segment [Bono, The Edge, the last clip, burlesque dancer which is *not* Ditta von Teese unfortunately] which is another part sticked to the film, whether it goes with the rest or not). Plus ridiculous religious overtone and sound effects mentioned by ~greg, which actually are not the surprise if we keep on our mind that this was produced by Mel-Passion-of-Christ-Gibson (and Lunson produced soundtrack for it, with Leonard's By the Rivers Dark on it), so all those cheapy-horror-slick-trash effects were already used in that, as someone memorably wrote, "Mel Gibson's movie about the other Jew with the fanatical followship" (and their eyes were mentioned to, I think). The worst moment is when Leonard's eyes on 1960s picture start to shine with sun light, as Jesus is appearing thru him. Not to mention Bono and that Edge caught in the doorway, with ridiculous metaphors of "someone is carpenter, someone is songwriter". The carpenter is Jesus, I guess, and songwriter is that other Jew with fanatical followship.


Also, Leonard commented few times that he didn't see the movie (and probably still did not). We already know that he is grateful on every cover, and every kind of tribute to his work so it was expected that he will do some kind of contribution and thanks for the movie. Also, it is time when every kind of promotion is welcomed.
In last two years, and this one also, we can't live of tributes and merchandise. Even Nadel's book is reprinted, and SonyBMG jumped on the train with remasters, and anonimous companies releasing unauthorised DVDs etc. And far too much tribute shows.

[linda_lakeside]

*sigh*

[Diane]

Bobbie, same as Tim, I saw the Dublin tribute and I loved it (apart from may three or four performances). I especially loved Teddy Thompson, and Antony. You get more out of things, much more, when you see them live don't you, with the presence of the artist, the atmosphere and the immediacy of it. Since Dublin I have had a Teddy T "phase" and an Antony "phase", but have now gone off the boil about these two artists a little (although I still like both of them).

I didn't enjoy the covers so much on the film as I had live; it's different on film - you are seeing it from a distance, but I still thought some of them were good to watch, even though I wouldn't want to play them over and over.

I love watching any live footage of Leonard, and especially up-to-the-minute stuff, so I was delighted to see the, albeit brief, interview footage of him. He doesn't need long to say a lot. I don't approach it as a 'film critic' at all, and kudos to those who take the time to look at it from the perspective of how they think it presents Leonard to the world, and what its merits are as a piece of art in itself.

I just love the film for the Leonard bits, and as I can use my dvd controls to jump forward to his bits, that's just fine by me.

If you don't like the film, you can just abandon the "masterpiece" (what it was you were hoping for) and sink into the real masterpiece (Leonard) .

Diane

ps I saw Martha Wainwright for the first time on IYM, and I thought she was excellent.