Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

critic Reviews

, 88% Certified Fresh Tomatometer Score
  • Hallelujah doesn't presume to be a comprehensive view of Leonard Cohen's career, but it effectively conveys his artistry through an admiring retrospective on one of his most iconic works.
  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Linda MarricThe Jewish Chronicle
    While there isn’t much here that fans won’t know, the film still makes for a riveting watch. As for those who are less familiar with the song or its original writer, this might prove to be a genuine eye-opener.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Kevin MaherTimes (UK)
    ... A layered portrait of Cohen’s life (from poet to rock star to monk to comeback king) while always returning to the song that defined him.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Adam GrahamDetroit News
    ... An engrossing portrait of an artist through the lens of his most famous and enduring work.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Sarah JaneAustin Chronicle
    The film delves into every aspect of Cohen’s “Hallelujah” – the amount of time it took to write the song, the meaning of the song, the different covers of the song, and just what did Cohen think about it.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Bridgette M. RedmanChicago Reader
    By focusing on the song rather than the man, the filmmakers create an arc that keeps viewers engaged.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    David StrattonThe Australian
    Fans of Leonard Cohen, and there are millions of them, will be enthralled by this portrait of “a kind of modern minstrel”.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Amber WilkinsonEye for Film
    The end result could do with less tangent and more of the gent himself.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Alistair LawrenceCommon Sense Media
    Some of the film's most disarming moments involve Cohen's early years, as he initially struggles with the transition from poet to folk musician, then again as his U.S. label refuses to release the original version of the titular song.
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  • , Rotten Tomatometer Score
    Glenn DunksThe Film Experience
    The problem here is that Hallelujah, despite a rather unwieldly two hour runtime, spends far too long on things of little importance whenever it threatens to really dig into some of the thornier issues that the song and its commercialized success raise.
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  • , Fresh Tomatometer Score
    Frederic and Mary Ann BrussatSpirituality & Practice
    The origin story of the spiritual song that has swept the world as a modern prayer.

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