9 Songs (2004)

A Brilliant Conflict

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". Avoid this "film" ~ it is a cheap, badly made excuse for "soft-porn". The music is awful, too ! Sleep, read a book, learn a language, but don't waste your time with this.

A movie that history will remember for only one thing: the explicit sex scenes. However, look beyond that and you have a semi-decent story of the history of a relationship, from start to finish. Moreover, you have some superb live music. Acts shown include Elbow, The Dandy Warhols, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Franz Ferdinand and Primal Scream.Ultimately, I think Michael Winterbottom made this movie, and included the scenes he did, just for shock value. If he had cut down on the sex scenes, and looked more at the lead characters' relationship - its reasons for existence, its highs and lows, etc - he would have had a movie that is taken seriously, and highly regarded, not one that is regarded in some quarters as merely porn.

I do love this movie. When seeing it again in 2008, after a three year absence, I loved it more, so much, I watched it again, as having bought the DVD, while I was in Sydney. It was taken off the shelves in Adelaide, within about two weeks. Yes the film is very daring, and explicit, and sexy Stilley, a former model, is hot as an American student. Her acting's not. It's more done, if for naturalism. You would of seen her in that M and M's add in a green sweater, where here, she's naked for most of it. The English boyfriend, who's interesting occupation, takes him to the Antarctic, he loves so much, was a job angle I loved. Original. Stilley has struck up a hot relationship with him, where Kieren O'Brien is incredibly dull to watch, though likable, delivering an utterly terrible performance almost of void, but again too, it's done for naturalism, which is the feel I've got from the film. I don't know if these actors hailed from the same acting school as the leads from Open Water. This adult feature, that does border on porn, one scene, that pushed the envelope, which I imagine, was removed from the shelves, after a complaint, is really a love story strung together by an abundance of sex scenes, one after the other that involves a lot of lovemaking, where a beautiful thing is going on there, punctuated by rock concert scenes, featuring songs and music I loved. There's one small argument, that Stilley, with her character of vitality and looseness sparks up, which I wish had eventuated into more. At times her character is obnoxious. She does have her moods. Thank god we have her, to bring life into the relationship, in contrast to the distrait O'Brien. It does pain and sadden us, when the two part, at the end, after all the sex and love they've been through, where it is affecting, a too fitting titled, if punishing song attached to it. In fairness the 69 minute movie has the look of a half finished project, or it is, as if the other half of the movie went missing, where they're are only a couple of things that hold it together, but their things the audience love, that compensates for the notion, that may'be it's not really meant to be taken for a movie, but a very explicit and sexy experience, where those easily offended by raw sex, nudity, should steer clear. Dialogue too is scarce, of minimum number, one line has Stilley looking in the mirror, asking O'Brien, "Do I look like a boy". Check out her bare body, while she says that, you'll pick up on something that will have you answering "Yes", but I don't want to get too personal. Definitely for art house lovers, or people, who want to get their rocks off.

Have sex. Watch concert. Talk about Antarctica! Then repeat nine times. Never has a movie outstayed its welcome at 70 mins, and this one was unbelievably boring in every single way. Brave actors getting their kit off- but badly acted, and is a rather pointless slice-of-life movie that is actually directed by a competent and interesting filmmaker; whose resume includes the very excellent 'Cock and Bull Story' and interesting dramas such as 'Go Now' and 'A Mighty Heart'! Though I haven't seen enough of Michael Winterbottom's films to really judge his overall career, '9 Songs' is certainly a blemish on it, but the question is, would I have actually bothered with this movie if the controversial subject matter did not exist? I don't deplore sex in movies, but please have a reasonable plot with this sort of experimental art-house that feels the need to inundate with actual real sex on cinema! Make the plot interesting. This is definitely more raw than pornographic, but if it wasn't for the controversy, I doubt anyone would have seen this rubbish!0.5/5 or 1/2* out of *****!