9 Songs (2004)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writer:

Michael Winterbottom (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 2005 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

2 Lovers. 1 Year.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Concert | Rock Concert | London England | Passion

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Kieran O'Brien	...	Matt
Margo Stilley	...	Lisa
Huw Bunford	...	Himself (Super Furry Animals)
Cian Ciaran	...	Himself (Super Furry Animals)
The Dandy Warhols	...	Themselves
Elbow	...	Themselves
Franz Ferdinand	...	Themselves
Bobby Gillespie	...	Himself (Primal Scream)
Bob Hardy	...	Himself (Franz Ferdinand)
Dafydd Ieuan	...	Himself (Super Furry Animals)
Alex Kapranos	...	Himself (Franz Ferdinand)
Mani	...	Himself (Primal Scream)
Nick McCarthy	...	Himself (Franz Ferdinand)
Michael Nyman	...	Himself
Guto Pryce	...	Himself (Super Furry Animals)

Also Known As:

Ice (UK) (working title)
Nine Songs (UK) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

71 min | USA:67 min (DVD version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 | Canada:R (British Columbia/Ontario) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Mexico:D | Australia:X (South Australia) (original rating) | Singapore:(Banned) | Argentina:18 | Taiwan:R-18 | France:-16 (edited version) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R (re-rating on appeal) | France:-18 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-18 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:Not Rated | New Zealand:R18 | Brazil:18 | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/18

Filming Locations:

Brixton Academy - 211 Stockwell Road, Brixton, London, England, UK

Company:

Revolution Films

Trivia:

Director Winterbottom shot over 200 hours of digital video.

Goofs:

Continuity: The clock on the wall goes forth and back in time between shots.

Quotes:

Lisa: I've had one from Colombia, one from Brazil, one from Argentina... one from Germany when I was in high school. I have...
[grins]
Lisa: An English boyfriend.

Movie Connections:

References The Dreamers (2003)

Soundtrack:

Madan

Beautiful, intimate, responsible. A minor triumph.

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 concerts. 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.