ReelBob: ‘Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love” is a documentary about a romance fueled by the free-love milieu and drug culture of the 1960s, the drive and curse of creativity and the demon of depression.

British director Nick Broomfield’s movie looks at the decades-long on-and-off love affair between Marianne Ihlen and Canadian-born poet-songwriter-singer Leonard Cohen.

The two met in 1960 on the Greek island of Hydra, where Ihlen, a Norwegian single mother with a young son, and Cohen, a struggling writer, were among a group of expat artists, writers and musicians living on the island and hoping to capture inspiration.

The movie is a time capsule, fascinating to watch, but also sad and disturbing. This is not an objective documentary. Broomfield who — as a young man lived on Hydra, knew Ihlen and briefly was her lover — fails to take us to the really dark places we need to go to understand the strange and strained relationship between Ihlen and Cohen.

Plus, the movie spends much more time on Cohen’s career. Ihlen is short shrifted, thus making her simply a supporting player in Cohen’s life story.

Broomfield, as may be expected, is kinder to Ihlen than to Cohen, despite recollections from friends, collaborators and others associated with Cohen who characterize him as a good but troubled man.

Cohen was an introspective individual. He, like many creative people, was insecure. He relied too much on acid and drugs such as LSD to cope.

Cohen openly admits to leading “a selfish life.” He was “always leaving,” especially the many women with whom he had relationships.

But, more than about 50 years, he always seemed to gravitate back to Ihlen — and she to him. Ihlen always was Cohen’s muse, despite the other women in his life.

Hydra, itself, turned out to be a curse for not only Ihlen and Cohen, but others who spent a lot of time there. “There was too much freedom,” Broomfield says, and that was “too dangerous,” especially for the children of the many hedonistic parents who focused more on themselves and their passions.

When Cohen began recording and success came knocking, he spent more and more time away from Ihlen, her son, Axel, and Hydra.

An air of melancholy hangs over “Marianne and Leonard.” Their love story does not veer into tragedy, but it elicits a sadness that, at certain moments, overwhelms you.

This is not a story about broken people; rather, it’s a cautionary examination of the vulnerabilities of commitment and the emotional toll of success on artists and those in their orbit.

Broomfield needed to make his movie edgier; his soft-focus approach belies the underbelly of his story. It downplays the toxicity in the relationship between Ihlen and Cohen.

A great paradox hangs over the movie — Cohen continually referenced Ihlen in his words and music, yet basically treated her shabbily.

And it is uncomfortable to listen to Cohen’s friends — not so much defending him, but simply shrugging off his behavior as part of his unusual personality.

Still, “Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love,” is an interesting feature. Cohen fans will embrace it, and it serves as a fascinating introduction to the artist.

The movie also shines a light on an amazing woman who should deserve her moment in the spotlight.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

MARIANNE AND LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE
2½ stars out of 4
(R), drug material, nudity, sexual references