This seemingly casual film set in Montreal in 1965 keeps us fixated on the character in the film, namely Leonard Cohen, a poet who came of age in the 1960's. A Donald Brittain documentary, it gives us a glimpse of Cohen going about his daily routine of rising from bed, reading before loving audiences, going to restaurants and bars, and even getting his hair done at a beauty salon. We see him on a broadcast show trading barbs with Pierre Berton and telling the viewers the importance of being in a state of grace. Interesting how this Jewish young man has an affection for Catholic metaphor,which he interprets in his own fashion but which he can explain in terms that make perfect sense.The camera is his friend. He looks good on camera and is relaxed and articulate. He looks like a sixties preppy with the fine-tailored look and the well-coiffed hair. He even jokes about ads in the paper for hair removal. The camera zooms in on him when he speaks. In this film, we see a series of portraits of the poet on film. We are treated to background scenes from his home town of Montreal...as he rises and looks out the window at the snow falling, or talks about Mount Royal where he played as a child. The winter background in Montreal is appropriate since Montreal is a city known for winter. It used to be the most Catholic winter city in the world, although hockey might have been the more dominant religion. He talks about hockey and how in public school, he was the ninth best defenceman in his class.He sees himself as a social critic and yet he comes from a well-heeled family and grew up in the once insular English enclave of Westmount in this predominantly French-Catholic city. This is not a pro-Cohen film but true to his talent for great documentary, Donald Brittain has delivered a film that could be of interest to all shades of opinion on Leonard Cohen.

From what I gather in this documentary he was not even a renowned singer and musician yet by which the world knows him today and yet he was already a star. Here we got Cohen the novelist and poet and ever wanderer like a little boy, although he already had his share of admirers. I love this guy very much. He is a living genius. The soul can always relate to Cohen. He is fit enough to write an extension to the Bible. Cohen is my guardian angel and teacher, guru and mentor, there is something of an oracle in his voice. What makes him so great is his honesty. That is also what drives the ladies mad about him too. cohen's work however is not just simply romantic. It reaches certain depths which in the modern day love song is nowhere to be found.

Produced in 1965, this 45-minute promo for the then youthful looking Leonard Cohen functions now as a faded cinematic snapshot of the man who, in the forty years since the promo was made, has evolved into Planet Earth's greatest living poet and songwriter.With a jazzy musical score, this B&W tape narrates a kind of "day in the life of" theme. It captures to some extent the man's personality which, surprisingly, exuded considerable humor, vis-a-vis the dire morbidity for which he has since become known. Of course, Western culture in the 1960s was friendlier to poets generally. In recent decades, particularly in the U.S., many people have become overtly hostile toward all things intellectual. In point of fact, Cohen's works have never been as popular in the U.S. as they have been in Europe and Canada. The U.S. aside, Cohen's worldwide popularity and longevity speak volumes about his talent, and remind me of the ongoing popularity of a similar 1960's talent: the Moody Blues.Some comments that Cohen makes in the film may raise eyebrows or seem contradictory. But that speaks as much to our current day obsession with logic, rigid analysis, and materialism as it does to Cohen's remarks. Trying to "analyze" poets or poetry is useless, and represents a fundamental misunderstanding of what poetry is all about.I believe that it was Benjamin Disraeli who said "the poet is the painter of the soul". In our current arid and more or less "soul-less" culture, Leonard Cohen gives to us a wonderfully unique way of seeing the world, a loftier point of view, based on truth, sensitivity, and intuition. This 45-minute "filmmette" is a must-see for people who are thus receptive to uncommon insight from an uncommon man.

This documentary is somewhat lame. It is very worshipful towards Leonard Cohen. There are scenes in Canadian lecture halls where people laugh at his every word, and I wasn't even sure half the time that he was joking. You can tell Cohen doesn't really care. In fact, he speaks in silly little poetic quips that become awfully annoying very quickly. In fact, after the documentary part of the movie is done, there is an interview with Cohen after he has just watched the film. A piece of film that was recorded and not included in the actual documentary is very telling: it shows Cohen writing "CAVEAT EMPTOR" on the wall above a bathtub while he is bathing. Yes, the buyer should beware in this case.Oh, and speaking of buying, you can buy this on VHS or DVD if you really want it. Just go to Amazon.com and search for it. The DVD has a few supplemental short films which are actually more interesting than the feature. There is a goofy music video for "I'm Your Man," and a couple of really marvelous video montages coupled with Cohen's poetry.6/10