Matt Bissonnette (director)

Benedict Matthew Bissonnette, usually credited as Matt Bissonnette, is a Canadian film director and writer.[1]

Bissonnette and his childhood friend Steven Clark collaborated as codirectors and cowriters of the 2002 film Looking for Leonard.[2] On his own, Bissonnette followed up with the films Who Loves the Sun in 2006,[3] Passenger Side in 2009,[4] and Death of a Ladies' Man in 2020.[1]

Bissonnette's films frequently use the literary or musical work of Leonard Cohen as a thematic motif; Looking for Leonard centred in part on a character's fantasies of escaping her life to run away with Cohen after reading his novel Beautiful Losers, while both Passenger Side and Death of a Ladies' Man use Cohen's music in their soundtracks.[5]

He also works in advertising as a commercial director,[5] and published the novel Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock in 2008.[6]

He is the brother of actor Joel Bissonnette,[4] and was married to actress Molly Parker from 2002 to 2016.[7]

  1. ^ a b Randall King, "Laughing in the face of death: Humour, absurdity bring a light touch to bleak, Cohen-inspired Irish-Canadian drama". Winnipeg Free Press, March 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Marke Andrews, "4 years Looking for Leonard no time at all to lifelong pals". Vancouver Sun, November 29, 2002.
  3. ^ Alison Gillmor, "Characters confront the past in cottage country". Winnipeg Free Press, April 5, 2007.
  4. ^ a b John Griffin, "Great music and dialogue as a contact sport; passenger side Ex-N.D.G.er Matt Bissonnette directs a winning road movie". Montreal Gazette, October 9, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Randall King, "Drama draws on spirit of 'patron saint of Montreal'". Winnipeg Free Press, March 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Brendan Kelly, "Montreal-born filmmaker returns home with punk-rock novel; 1980s-era N.D.G. teens play central role in Matt Bissonnette's first book". Montreal Gazette, April 14, 2008.
  7. ^ David Spaner, "Molly relishes producing role: Parker behind and in front of the camera for latest film, Looking for Leonard". The Province, November 29, 2002.