9 Songs (2004)

9 Songs: Directed by Michael Winterbottom. With Kieran O’Brien, Margo Stilley, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Don Blum. In London, intense sexual encounters take place between an American college student, named Lisa, and an English scientist, named Matt, between attending rock concerts.

“In the (admittedly unlikely) eventuality that someone wandered into a cinema expecting this to be a musical, a rude shock would ensue, since this is the most sexually explicit mainstream film ever exhibited in Britain. Indeed the only mainstream movie Iu0026#39;ve previously seen to compare in explicitness was the 1976 Japanese work u0026quot;Ai No Corridau0026quot; (u0026quot;In the Realm Of The Sensesu0026quot;), but this work goes further with a scene of ejaculation, as well as fellatio, cunnilingus and penetrative sex. Since this is the work of accomplished British director Michael Winterbottom (u0026quot;In This Worldu0026quot;), one cannot possibly regard this is as pornography – besides anything else, porn features far more voluptuous women and portrays the sex from an exclusively male point of view, whereas the sex here is realistic (as well as real) and as female-oriented as much as male.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe problem is that the film appears to be utterly meaningless. A British research geologist Matt (Kieran Ou0026#39;Brien) goes to London gigs and has sex with American student Lisa (Margot Stilley), but there is no characterisation or plot or even a script (the dialogue was improvised and is banal). Even the music seems to bear no relationship to the lovers and – except for some haunting work from Michael Nyman – is dreary gunge. Shot on low budget digital video, the picture is as grey as the subject matter and the only light-hearted aspect is the rather unsubtle joke of the (mercifully short) running time (69 minutes). Come again? No chance.”