I had a bit of an indie film night - all by my lonesome.
Probably a good thing because '9 Songs' is essentially a porno with a basic story.
But, truthfully, it's more than that. It tells the story of a relationship, through its sexual encounters. Much of the film is told through flashback as Matt tells how he misses his girlfriend, Lisa.
The couple meet at a 'Black Rebel Motorcycle Club' gig in England and begin a very physical relationship that involves many, many sexual encounters, and 9 live gigs (including live footage of bands such as 'The Dandy Worholes', 'Franz Ferdenand', 'The Von Bondies' and more).
Admitidly, there is no point to this film. It doesn't really take you anywhere and doesn't leave you with anything. So, taking that in, it could be a prono. Pointless - just some detailed sex scenes.
However, there is more beyond the meniscus. Matt is longing for Lisa, and yet, all he remembers is her smell, her taste and the feel of her skin against his. There's the feeling of realness to the relationship that goes beyond the actual sex and you're actually left feeling (pity?) for Matt, because you have to wonder... does she feel the same way? This is especially apparant when Matt is cooking dinner and is interupted by a buzzing sound from the bedroom...
Sure, you can watch this film if you just want to 'get off' to some real sex footage. But this film does go beyond that and yet only manages to scratch the surface of what a real relationship is. There's none of that Hollywood bullshit here. The characters are real and the story feels almost more real than my real life. I watch this film and say to myself... this is a normal life... this is what I should be living - the honesty of it all.
from http://www.kottke.org/05/07/9-songsSex is often a significant part of human relationships, so why shouldn't films reflect that and depict it more accurately? That's the question director Michael Winterbottom tries to answer with 9 Songs, and he does so fairly successfully. The film is rated NC-17 and features fairly graphic sex (penetration, oral sex, bodily fluids), which was disappointing at first because I thought Winterbottom was using sex for the same purpose as most directors do (cheap titillation) but the choice made more sense as the movie progressed and, thanks in large part to the two lead actors, contributed greatly to the feeling of relationship in the film.
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