Songwriter Stephin Merritt is known as “the Cole Porter of his generation” for his memorable melodies, lovelorn lyrics and wry musical stylings. Shot over a period of 10 years, “Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields” explores his friendship with his longtime bandmate and manager Claudia Gonson. Through his recording and songwriting process, the film traces a 20-year career that has yielded one of the most engaging bodies of work in the contemporary American songbook.