Marianne Ihlen was a free spirit of the ’60s. A Norwegian expat living on Hydra, a sun-soaked island off the coast of Greece, she joyously juggled several simultaneous sexual relationships, imbibed whatever drink or drug was passed her way, and lived out the kind of perma-vacation that, these days, is only an option for the wealthy. But most importantly, according to Julie Felix, a British-based folk musician, she was a “terrific muse.” Ihlen was, after all, the inspiration behind “Bird on a Wire,” “Hey That’s No Way to Say Goodbye,” and “So Long, Marianne,” three songs made famous by their creator, Leonard Cohen. It’s Ihlen’s passionate, tempestuous, and inspiring on-again/off-again relationship with Cohen that Nick Broomfield explores in his documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love. Unlike many of the director’s previous docs, like 1998’s Kurt & Courtney or 2017’s Whitney: Can I Be Me?, this film isn’t pitched for controversy, nor does it dig up salacious details about his subjects. It’s an uneven but affectionate portrait of two people who are drawn together, creating sparks and conflagrations whenever they came into contact. by Robert Ham