A Londres, l'amour s'épanouit entre une étudiante américaine, Lisa, et un scientifique anglais, Matt, entre deux concerts de rock.A Londres, l'amour s'épanouit entre une étudiante américaine, Lisa, et un scientifique anglais, Matt, entre deux concerts de rock.A Londres, l'amour s'épanouit entre une étudiante américaine, Lisa, et un scientifique anglais, Matt, entre deux concerts de rock.
- Réalisation
- Scénario
- Casting principal
- Récompenses
- 1 victoire et 2 nominations au total
Robert Levon Been
- Self - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- (non crédité)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- Themselves
- (non crédité)
Marcie Bolen
- Self
- (non crédité)
Huw Bunford
- Self - Super Furry Animals
- (non crédité)
Cian Ciaran
- Self - Super Furry Animals
- (non crédité)
The Dandy Warhols
- Themselves
- (non crédité)
Elbow
- Themselves
- (non crédité)
Franz Ferdinand
- Themselves
- (non crédité)
Guy Garvey
- Self - Elbow
- (non crédité)
Bobby Gillespie
- Self - Primal Scream
- (non crédité)
Bob Hardy
- Self - Franz Ferdinand
- (non crédité)
Peter Hayes
- Self - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- (non crédité)
Dafydd Ieuan
- Self - Super Furry Animals)
- (non crédité)
Nick Jago
- Self - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- (non crédité)
Richard Jupp
- Self - Elbow
- (non crédité)
Avis à la une
This film is yet another example of Michael Winterbottom's versatility. One peculiar aspect of it is that the scenes of lovemaking are divided by songs (hence the title). The film is only a little over 60 minutes so we get 30 minutes of music and 30 minutes of sex. It's fairly gentle, loving sex, with a short foray into mild bondage at the end, but it is indisputably real sex. There is a rather wistful atmosphere because with the opening scenes of a light plane flying low over the Antarctic wastes it is clear that Matt (Kieran O'Brien) is reflecting on the past, on his short affair with Lisa, a younger American woman in London. Matt is a glaciologist who spends his time uncovering the secrets of the earth's past. Lisa's background is not sketched in. In fact we learn little about her except that she does rather like sex and doesn't have to fall hopelessly in love with someone to enjoy their body. Matt is left only with a few warm memories.
The 9 songs are mostly noisy rock numbers from bands playing in the cavernous Brixton Academy, though there is at least one decent Michael Nyman number. It seems Matt and Lisa both like the stuff (they first meet there) and the songs kind of punctuate the relationship, but again, there is not a great deal of meaning.
Matt is played by Kieran O'Brien, previously seen as Fitz's difficult teenage son in "Cracker", and he certainly meets the physical demands his role requires. Margo Stilley as Lisa plays her in an uncomplicated fashion. I thought they were both pretty brave to do this and I hope it doesn't hurt their careers. It was something of an achievement to get this film past the censors but it clearly falls into the "Art" rather than "Pornography" category. I do wonder though, as I did with "Shortbus," what's coming next. I don't think, even in adult love stories I want to see all the anatomical detail. I'd much rather have some crackling dialogue or even just some nice scenery.
The 9 songs are mostly noisy rock numbers from bands playing in the cavernous Brixton Academy, though there is at least one decent Michael Nyman number. It seems Matt and Lisa both like the stuff (they first meet there) and the songs kind of punctuate the relationship, but again, there is not a great deal of meaning.
Matt is played by Kieran O'Brien, previously seen as Fitz's difficult teenage son in "Cracker", and he certainly meets the physical demands his role requires. Margo Stilley as Lisa plays her in an uncomplicated fashion. I thought they were both pretty brave to do this and I hope it doesn't hurt their careers. It was something of an achievement to get this film past the censors but it clearly falls into the "Art" rather than "Pornography" category. I do wonder though, as I did with "Shortbus," what's coming next. I don't think, even in adult love stories I want to see all the anatomical detail. I'd much rather have some crackling dialogue or even just some nice scenery.
In 'the most sexually explicit film in the history of British cinema', as the hype reads, Lisa (Margo Stilley) and Matt (Kieran O'Brien) spend their free time snorting coke, looking rather bored at rock gigs, and boning each other.
Needless to say, there are plenty of moments of graphic nookie between stars Stilley (a little too young and inexperienced to be taking on such a daring film role, maybe) and O'Brien (who, judging by his DVD commentary, seems to have had a whale of a time), lots of rough and ready music footage shot at various London gigs, and some pretentious bilge about life in the Antarctic, all accompanied by a monotonous voice-over.
Is 9 Songs a bona fide work of art, voyeuristic porn masquerading as art, a realistic study of an intimate relationship, an exploitative piece of trash, or a risqué promo for up and coming rock bands? I have no idea: it really is very hard to fathom out what Winterbottom and Co.'s intentions were for making this film, although I'm guessing the real answer is, 'it's whatever you want it to be'.
Viewers will watch 9 Songs for their own personal reasons (to become aroused; for intellectual discussion at dinner parties; as ammunition for attacking liberal types; or just to see what the fuss is about) and enjoy it accordingly. I thought it passed 66 minutes quite painlessly—the action was hot and the music was cool—but for me, perhaps the most interesting thing about 9 Songs is seeing how the film will affect the stars' careers in the long term, and guessing where this whole 'real sex in cinema' trend will end (Brad and Angelina going at it on Screen 1 at the local multiplex?!?!).
Needless to say, there are plenty of moments of graphic nookie between stars Stilley (a little too young and inexperienced to be taking on such a daring film role, maybe) and O'Brien (who, judging by his DVD commentary, seems to have had a whale of a time), lots of rough and ready music footage shot at various London gigs, and some pretentious bilge about life in the Antarctic, all accompanied by a monotonous voice-over.
Is 9 Songs a bona fide work of art, voyeuristic porn masquerading as art, a realistic study of an intimate relationship, an exploitative piece of trash, or a risqué promo for up and coming rock bands? I have no idea: it really is very hard to fathom out what Winterbottom and Co.'s intentions were for making this film, although I'm guessing the real answer is, 'it's whatever you want it to be'.
Viewers will watch 9 Songs for their own personal reasons (to become aroused; for intellectual discussion at dinner parties; as ammunition for attacking liberal types; or just to see what the fuss is about) and enjoy it accordingly. I thought it passed 66 minutes quite painlessly—the action was hot and the music was cool—but for me, perhaps the most interesting thing about 9 Songs is seeing how the film will affect the stars' careers in the long term, and guessing where this whole 'real sex in cinema' trend will end (Brad and Angelina going at it on Screen 1 at the local multiplex?!?!).
Saw this 16-09-2004 at the TIFF... While I am an admitted fan of mainstream films that feature explicit sexuality, I was disappointed in this film -- as it stands now. I say "as it stands now" because, although I may be wrong, the film has the feel of an unfinished work. Clocking in at a mere hour and five minutes, however, it still manages to feel long somehow -- essentially, we are watching either one of four types of scene: The lead actor reminiscing about the now-ended affair (from his walking trip of... Antarctica!), the couple attending concerts (always, apparently, at the same venue), the couple cooking and eating, or the couple having sex. There is relatively little dialog. The film feels fragmentary, as the scenes tend to repeat without much of a contextual base; perhaps these scenes are intended to represent the lead characters' memories, implying that we only remember those things that were most important to us from a relationship. The actors are game in their roles, although Ms. Stilley -- who has the long-limbed, small-chested appearance of a runway model -- comes off a bit weaker next to Mr. O'Brien (indeed, this appears to be her first film). I give both actors a lot of credit for baring themselves so unabashedly to the material, but am a bit disappointed that, even though Ms. Stilley has supposedly been offered another role in Mr. Winterbottom's next film, she is said to be "distancing herself" from this picture, apparently especially after her mother in North Carolina was alerted to its graphic nature.
When I saw Scorsese's "Last Waltz," I thought that I would never again see a concert film as true. And I haven't, until now.
The Band were the last popular musicians to tell stories, have nearly all those stories be in the third person and tell them without irony. To do this is impossible today, or at least non- commercial. Scorsese is a flawed filmmaker, his flaw being that he is overly invested in character-driven storytelling. The two: Band and Marty, were a perfect mix: cinematic rock. Pure, without that nightmare stew of MTV videos.
Now along comes Winterbottom. Nearly all viewers will be unable to accept a movie with sex in it as anything but a movie about sex. Shame on them. Confront it folks. That's his point: why is it so difficult to accept the difference?
But the hangups of the viewing public are less interesting to me than the way he constructed this experiment. It is a rock concert (with a Nyman interlude). Nine songs, with us participating in the songs themselves, participating in the going to the concerts to listen to the songs, and participating in the experience that the songs are about: namely obsessive sex. And also, remembering (or even inventing the memory of) the sex, drugs and rock and roll we've seen. This latter is done by our hero in Antarctica. He serves as narrator, by the way.
Thankfully, this intense sex avoids the theatrics of "Damage," and works to be as genuine as possible emotionally.
Is it a good movie? Could it change your life? Will it change cinema forever?
Probably yes.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
The Band were the last popular musicians to tell stories, have nearly all those stories be in the third person and tell them without irony. To do this is impossible today, or at least non- commercial. Scorsese is a flawed filmmaker, his flaw being that he is overly invested in character-driven storytelling. The two: Band and Marty, were a perfect mix: cinematic rock. Pure, without that nightmare stew of MTV videos.
Now along comes Winterbottom. Nearly all viewers will be unable to accept a movie with sex in it as anything but a movie about sex. Shame on them. Confront it folks. That's his point: why is it so difficult to accept the difference?
But the hangups of the viewing public are less interesting to me than the way he constructed this experiment. It is a rock concert (with a Nyman interlude). Nine songs, with us participating in the songs themselves, participating in the going to the concerts to listen to the songs, and participating in the experience that the songs are about: namely obsessive sex. And also, remembering (or even inventing the memory of) the sex, drugs and rock and roll we've seen. This latter is done by our hero in Antarctica. He serves as narrator, by the way.
Thankfully, this intense sex avoids the theatrics of "Damage," and works to be as genuine as possible emotionally.
Is it a good movie? Could it change your life? Will it change cinema forever?
Probably yes.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
I always try to be as clean from other people's / critics opinion before I go and check out a new film.
With Nine Songs, that is a difficult task, because it is the kind of movie everyone talks about without even seen it.
The story is as simple as it can be. It concentrates on the sexual behavior of the characters to show the birth and death of their relationship. It could have all been told around their meals, or their phone conversations. But Michael
Winterbotom chose their sex life - a quite important subject to every couple's life- to tell it all.
I only want to say that it is quite beautiful. Yes, its only sex, but as real as it can be. There is no intention on making the scenes erotic or pornographic, and the honest intimacy projected, strips down the human nature of the characters to
their very basic instincts.
With Nine Songs, that is a difficult task, because it is the kind of movie everyone talks about without even seen it.
The story is as simple as it can be. It concentrates on the sexual behavior of the characters to show the birth and death of their relationship. It could have all been told around their meals, or their phone conversations. But Michael
Winterbotom chose their sex life - a quite important subject to every couple's life- to tell it all.
I only want to say that it is quite beautiful. Yes, its only sex, but as real as it can be. There is no intention on making the scenes erotic or pornographic, and the honest intimacy projected, strips down the human nature of the characters to
their very basic instincts.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesKieran O'Brien and Margo Stilley did not communicate with each other between filming so that their off-screen relationship would not affect the one they had on screen.
- GaffesCutaways during several different band performances, such as close up of backup guitarists, are from different parts of the shows and often don't match wide shots of the band or shots of the singers.
- Crédits fousThe opening title and the closing credits appear to be pieces of cut film or paper placed together to form the words.
- Versions alternativesUnrated Edited Version on DVD in USA removes the explicit sex, but it still too graphic for an R rating.
- ConnexionsFeatured in Nip/Tuck: Liz Cruz (2006)
- Bandes originalesWhatever Happened To My Rock and Roll
(Live)
Performed by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been,
Nick Jago)
Composed by Peter Hayes / Robert Levon Been (as Robert Been) / Nick Jago (as Nicholas Jago)
© BRMC Music / WB Music Corp by kind permission of Warner/Chappell Music Ltd
Courtesy of Virgin Records Limited / Virgin Records America, Inc
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Détails
Box-office
- Budget
- 1 000 000 £GB (estimé)
- Montant brut aux États-Unis et au Canada
- 66 853 $US
- Week-end de sortie aux États-Unis et au Canada
- 13 457 $US
- 24 juil. 2005
- Montant brut mondial
- 1 590 308 $US
- Durée1 heure 11 minutes
- Couleur
- Mixage
- Rapport de forme
- 1.85 : 1
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