In Leonard Cohen’s World

After Leonard Cohen gave few nods in comedy Looking for LeonardReleased twenty years ago, Canadian director Matthew Bisonnet explores the works of the legendary Montreal poet in more depth in his new feature film, Death of the seducer. The famous Irish actor, Gabrielle Byrne, has been entrusted with the lead role in his movie.

He was shot in Montreal and Ireland two years ago. Death of the seducer (The death of a lady man) Chronicles the existential crisis of Samuel O’Shea, a Montreal literature professor just diagnosed with brain cancer that doesn’t work. Becoming a victim of hallucinations more and more, he decides to revise his life by reconciling with his past and reconnecting with his ex-wife (Susan Clement) and his two children (Carel Tremblay and Antoine Olivier Pilon).

You will understand that Matthew Bisonnet was inspired by the work of Leonard Cohen to write this character of the seductive and entrenched poet. In fact, his entire movie is populated with music, poetry, and Cohen’s universe. It is this aspect of the script that lured Gabriel Byrne when Bisonette approached him for the lead role of the film.

“Honestly, Matthew didn’t have to say much to convince me to accept this wonderful role,” Gabriel Byrne admitted in a phone interview with magazine Previous January.

“I liked the script, but also the way the story relates to Cohen’s music. There are themes that often appear in Cohen’s songs like desire, love, death, and the difficulty of going back in time. Matthew mixed everything, adding a gentle touch of hope and optimism.”

The interview took place at magazineMatthew Bisonnet, who grew up in Montreal, explains that he considered several actors for the main role in his movie, but Gabriel Byrne was always his first choice.

“We quickly realized that he was the perfect actor for this role,” he confirms. He is completely invested in personality. Initially, we had to shoot the entire movie in Canada. But when Gabriel got involved in the project, we had the idea to go shoot part of the movie in Ireland. With Gabrielle, the movie just got bigger and more ambitious. ”

Under the magic of Montreal

The movie’s other big attraction, for Gabrielle Byrne, was Montreal. actor The usual suspects And the Spider He had actually resided in the city fifteen years ago while filmingEmotional account, A drama in which he starred alongside Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer and Roy Dupuy. He remembers instantly crushing the city.

“There are cities that we go to often that we never feel satisfied,” notes Byrne. For Montreal, it was the opposite. From the first day I set foot in Montreal, I immediately felt at home. I think the reason for this is that this city reminds me so much of Dublin. Like the Irish, Montreal residents are very welcoming. Montreal is an intimate, warm and friendly city. And I love its geometry, whether it’s new or old. When I left Montreal at the end of filming, I promised myself to go back there to spend more time. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the epidemic. “

Gabrielle Byrne was also happy with his shooting experience with Quebec actors in the film, Susan Clément, Antoine Olivier Pilon, Carel Tremblay and Jessica Barry.

“I knew some of them with the reputation,” says the 70-year-old actor. I already knew they were all great actors, but I was in awe of how empowered they were to play their roles. It’s always a pleasure to work with these good actors. Each of them brought something unique to their personality. ”

► the movie Death of the seducer Available on video on demand and has been in theaters since yesterday.