Surreal drama ‘Death of a Ladies’ Man’ showcases Leonard Cohen

Quirky and even trippy at times, Canadian director Matthew Bissonette’s new movie: Death of a Ladies’ Man, stars famed Irish actor Gabriel Byrne as worn but still lusty, English literature professor Samuel O’Shay.

Relying heavily on the music of Leonard Cohen for its soundtrack – indeed the movie’s very title is taken from the 1977 Cohen album, Death of a Ladies’ Man – the film opens with O’Shay rushing out of his comfortable Toronto brownstone to catch a cab to the airport.

Looking the picture of dishevelment and middle-aged eccentricity, O’Shay eventually realises he has left his wallet behind and, urging the cab driver with a large tip, forces him to turn the cab around in order to retrieve the wallet.

Arriving back at the house in a huge cloud of tyre smoke, O’Shay leaps from the cab and clambers up the stairs to his bedroom to find his wallet.

Approaching the closed door, he doesn’t like what he hears: the unmistakeable sound of his wife Linda (Carolina Bartczak) making mad passionate love to another man in the marital bed.

Flinging the bedroom door open, her infidelity is revealed in all its glory and O’Shay’s rage knows no bounds.

Screaming at the young stud to get his things and go, he tells his wife to also be gone by the evening and that he is getting a divorce.

“Well, if you treated me better, I wouldn’t be doing this,” she replies, at the same time appearing almost grateful for the opportunity to end the marriage.

After two previous failed marriages, O’Shay seems to be getting pretty good at this, and in a sometimes exasperating yet wonderful performance, he shows just why he lives up to the title ‘Ladies’ Man’.

Basically, he has a wandering eye which always gets him into trouble and by the look of it, always will.

The film takes a different turn though when, in an effort to improve himself and perhaps cut back on his debauched and boozy lifestyle, O’Shay takes a sabbatical back to his family roots in the West of Ireland to try and finish his book.

Leaving behind his son and daughter in Canada, he makes the journey alone; partly to escape the news that he has just been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

The tumour might go some way towards explaining some of the surreal hallucinations that O’Shay has been experiencing for the past few months, which include delusions of a waitress with the head of a tiger in a downtown restaurant, and an appearance by an angel in a glass ball who recommends he travel back to his Irish homeland.

Another vision of Canada geese firebombing Montreal at night is stunning for its special effects.

The most tangible vision, however, is that of the ghost of his dead father (played by Brian Gleeson) who keeps appearing to O’Shay to offer him advice on everything from his marriage, his children and the death of his mother.

Arriving in Ireland, it doesn’t take O’Shay long to meet the new love of his life: young French-Canadian model Charlotte (Jessica Paré) who runs the local village grocery store.

Suffice to say the scenery and dialogue in this movie is sublime and if you also love Leonard Cohen’s music, which pervades the entire movie, you will be in Heaven.

Death of a Ladies’ Man starts on Thursday, May 20 at Luna Leederville, Luna On SX and Windsor Cinema.

By Mike Peeters