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Margo Stilley, Kieran O'Brien, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciaran, Bobby Gillespie ... see more see more... , Dandy Warhols , Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Courtney Taylor-Taylor , Franz Ferdinand , Michael Nyman , Nick McCarthy

A relationship between a British scientist and an American student is chronicled through the concerts they saw and the love they made in this highly personal romantic drama from director Michael Winte... read more read more...rbottom. Matt (Kieran O'Brien) works with the British Antarctic Survey team, and as he travels to the South Pole and ponders the vast plains of snow and ice, his mind drifts back to his short-lived romance with Lisa (Margo Stilley), a free-spirited girl from the United States. Matt and Lisa met at a rock concert, and afterward the two went back to his flat and made love; as Matt relives their relationship in his mind, their time together is reduced to a few meals, bits of conversation, and nine concerts they attended together, punctuated by their sessions in the bedroom. Described by several critics as the most sexually explicit film produced to date by a noted international director, 9 Songs was a labor of love for Michael Winterbottom. Primarily improvised, self-financed, and shot using digital video equipment with a three-person skeleton crew, 9 Songs includes performances by Primal Scream, the Von Bondies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Franz Ferdinand, Super Furry Animals, the Dandy Warhols, Elbow, and Michael Nyman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

33% liked it

9,084 ratings

Critics

25% liked it

93 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Release Date: July 22, 2005

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DVD Release Date: November 5, 2005

Stats: 976 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (976)

  • LWOODS04
    September 25, 2010
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Margo Stilley, Kieran O'Brien, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciaran, Bobby Gillespie ... see more , Dandy Warhols , Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Courtney Taylor-Taylor , Franz Ferdinand , Michael Nyman , Nick McCarthy

    Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

    Summary: Love blooms betwe... read moreen an American student and a British glaciologist in this explicit romance with an underground-rock soundtrack. The film follows Lisa (Margo Stilley) and Matt (Kieran O'Brien) from the time they meet at a concert until Lisa departs for home. Their steamy relationship is set to the songs of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman.

    My Thoughts: "There isn't much to say about this film. It's basically porn with some good music here and there. Really not much of a story-line. Waste of time for me. I should have read the reviews before watching this, but being a fan of music I wanted to see what the music was all about in this film. I got more ass and tits, and a bit of dick more then I did the music.. I will pass it along to others, but don't say I didn't warn you.. It's a really bad film."
  • Beefy
    April 18, 2010
    Beefy
    PORN?!!

    Well, sort of. This is a tale of a relatively short relationship that plays out against a backdrop of modern British music (the two leads attend concerts together frequently). The film is a part of that teeny cinematic niche of sex films where the actors are clearly do... read moreing the actual deeds. Going in with lowered expectations as a result, I was surprised at how good the performances were. And sad, too, since these are the kinds of roles that will really keep the leads from finding work again in mainstream cinema.

    It's not the deepest film, but it achieved a level of emotional and physical honesty.

    And yeah, REALLY EXPLICIT. Really. Yes, THAT explicit.
  • SirPant
    February 9, 2010
    SirPant
    Who would have thought, a film with shagging and some of my favourite bands in it being a load of old crap! Michael Winterbottom is a good director, what was he thinking? A study of a relationship seen through the context of real sex and are not bound by religious considerations?... read more No. I suspect it was more to do with Winterbottom being able to say 'I was first' and then boasting to his mates down the pub. The whole thing is stagnant and unsexy, even the footage of the Brixton Academy concerts where unexciting, a real let down as I have had quite a few memorable nights there in what is usually an amazing atmosphere
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    January 19, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "2 Lovers. 1 Year."

    In London, England, love blooms between an American college student, named Lisa, and a British glaciologist, named Matt, where over the next few months in between attending rock concerts, the two lovers have intense sexual encounters.

    ... read moreze=+2 face="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Two dreary, unattractive heterosexuals with execrable taste in music conduct a sexual relationship over the space of a year. The film is distinguished by its use of real sex for added verisimilitude in the bonking scenes, yet the couple are so abstracted from the world about them that you would be hard-pressed to describe the film as an example of realist cinema. I suppose it may say something about the barren lives of the urban Western middle classes, although what Antarctica has to do with it all bog only knows. Rarely since Deep Throat have human sexual organs looked so unappealing.
  • jjnxn
    December 30, 2009
    jjnxn
    Incomprehensible pile of junk/porn. No point whatsoever. How the director convinced the actors to jeopardize their careers for this is a mystery.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    November 2, 2009
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Well, turns out that even sex is something that hipsters can turn into a very, very boring thing.
  • blacksheepboy
    October 23, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    Could have been more interesting if the characters were better developed and if the story were not so repetitive.
  • bbcfloridabound
    October 4, 2009
    bbcfloridabound
    The only thing that amazed me about this movie is that nothing more then a porno movie with a few songs thrown in. There is nothing that you will see in the best porno movie that you will not see here. The review I read and what I saw on the screen was quite different. They added... read more some inserts of Artic Exploration, guess to go from Hot to Cold but a shower would have accomplished that. Don't get me wrong I'm not a prude but the last thing I want to see on my TV is some girl give a guy a blow job and then him cuming on his stomach cause she's not a swallower. This is pure porn. 1/2 a star.
  • flixsterman
    March 21, 2009
    flixsterman
    I would have rated this higher but they kept interrupting the porn with rock-n-roll concert footage. :(
  • matertenebraum
    December 31, 2008
    matertenebraum
    This is a love-it-or-hate-it film, as reflected by the deep divisions in critical response. It is a serious piece of film-making but there are two major components that you may love or hate - extreme sexual explicitness and modern rock music.

    The rock music is mostly from live c... read moreoncerts. If the music that people pogue and stage dive to is not for you, you probably won't want to sit through an hour of it (check the soundtrack listings - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Von Bondies, Salif Keita, Franz Ferdinand, Primal Scream, Dandy Warhols, Goldfrapp, Super Furry Animals, Elbow - do you recognise/like a few of them?) The sexual explicitness is a matter of personal taste - and tastes in sexuality vary a lot. If you can identify or empathise to some extent to this 20-some young couple and feel comfortable seeing how their relationship develops through sex and rock music you may, as I did, find it beautiful and intimate. The lovemaking is so natural that it is in sharp contrast to the fictionalised and very artificial sex scenes in mainstream films. There's also some wonderful symbolism in contrasting shots and details of Antarctica (connected to the daytime work of the main character). It's also a triumph British cinema that the Censors have allowed it to reach mainstream cinemas uncut.

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Critic Reviews

Michael Rechtshaffen
November 1, 2005
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

As satisfying viewing experiences go, the film comes up mighty short in terms of story, interesting characters and technical prowess, not to mention a 65-minute running time.

Steven Rea
October 6, 2005
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Nice folks, fun time, thanks for the peek (I guess), and so what?

Peter Howell
September 23, 2005
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Five decades after the rest of the world twigged to it, Michael Winterbottom has discovered a connection between sex and rock 'n' roll. Bully for him. Full Review

Terry Lawson
September 9, 2005
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

It is, at its (hard)core, a traditional sex movie with better music and naturalistic situations.

Colin Covert
September 8, 2005
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

A pointless and pretentious cocktail of sex, rock 'n' roll and glaciology. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
August 27, 2005
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Ultimately each move toward breaking a barrier or assaulting a taboo is undercut by a reliance on conformity and convention. Full Review

Allison Benedikt
August 26, 2005
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

An expertly blended mix of live music and real sex. Full Review

Michael Booth
August 26, 2005
Michael Booth, Denver Post

9 Songs is an experiment few serious filmmakers will want to replicate, and most of the people involved will want to forget as quickly as possible. Full Review

Bob Townsend
August 25, 2005
Bob Townsend, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you're a fan of the 'now' bands on the soundtrack or an art film buff (or a dirty old man), 9 Songs may appeal. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 25, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

As an idea, the film is fascinating, but as an experience it grows tedious; the concerts lack closeups, the sex lacks context, and Antarctica could use a few penguins. Full Review

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