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:

Rock Concert | Love | London England | Passion | Leg Spreading

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)
Gruff Rhys	...	Himself (Super Furry Animals)
Courtney Taylor-Taylor	...	Himself (the Dandy Warhols)
Robert Young	...	Himself (Primal Scream)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club	...	Themselves
Don Blum	...	Himself
Marcie Bolen	...	Herself
Guy Garvey	...	Himself (Elbow)
Peter Hayes	...	Himself (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
Nick Jago	...	Himself (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
Richard Jupp	...	Himself (Elbow)
Craig Potter	...	Himself (Elbow)
Mark Potter	...	Himself (Elbow)
Carrie Smith	...	Herself
Jason Stollsteimer	...	Himself
Super Furry Animals	...	Themselves
Pete Turner	...	Himself (Elbow)
Robert Turner	...	Himself (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
The Von Bondies	...	Themselves

Directed by
Michael Winterbottom

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Winterbottom		writer

Produced by
Andrew Eaton	....	executive producer
Andrew Eaton	....	producer
Melissa Parmenter	....	associate producer
Michael Winterbottom	....	producer

Cinematography by
Marcel Zyskind

Film Editing by
Mat Whitecross
Michael Winterbottom

Casting by
Steve Daly
Julie Dunne

Production Management
Layla Blackman	....	post-production supervisor (as Layla Evans)

Sound Department
Tristan Aneca	....	additional sound mixer (as Tristan Anika)
Alan Cridford	....	additional sound mixer
Richard Davey	....	dubbing mixer
Rashad Omar	....	sound recordist
Rashid Omar	....	additional sound mixer
Joakim Sundström	....	sound editor
Stuart Wilson	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Annemarie Lean-Vercoe	....	additional camera operator (as Anne Marie Lean Vercoe)
Mat Whitecross	....	additional camera operator

Editorial Department
Ross Baker	....	colorist
Cas Casey	....	digital on-line editor
Jon Thompson	....	digital film transfer

Other crew
Michael Groom	....	production assistant: dailies
Jethro Harris	....	operations manager: Pepper Post Productions Ltd.
Boyd Harvey	....	insurance: Media Insurance
Martin McGlone	....	laboratory contact
Fiona McGuire	....	head of production: Revolution Films
Helen Phelps	....	sales manager: Pepper Post Productions Ltd.
Martyn Richmond	....	production assistant
Molly Tudhope	....	production assistant: Revolution Films

Thanks
Nick Adams	....	special thanks
Air	....	special thanks
Rab Andrew	....	special thanks
Amy Ashworth	....	special thanks
Chris Auty	....	special thanks
John Babbitt	....	special thanks
Michael Big Daddy Been	....	special thanks
Michael Brennan	....	special thanks
James Brown	....	special thanks
Cerne Canning	....	special thanks
Rick Canny	....	special thanks
Rhiannon Ceiri	....	special thanks
Phil Chadwick	....	special thanks
Peter Christelis	....	special thanks
Gary Downing	....	special thanks
Nigel Downs	....	special thanks
Jon Duncan	....	special thanks
Stephane Elfassi	....	special thanks
Ralph Harrison	....	special thanks
Pernilla Holl	....	special thanks
Michel Houellebecq	....	special thanks
Greg Hunt	....	special thanks
Josh Hyams	....	special thanks
Lindy King	....	special thanks
Sarah Kite	....	special thanks
Stuart Laing	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Lloyd	....	special thanks: Michael Nyman Limited
Alun Llwyd	....	special thanks
Graeme Lowe	....	special thanks
Graeme Mason	....	special thanks
Claire Muldone	....	special thanks
Ross Pelling	....	special thanks
Craig Pride	....	special thanks
Brigham Ray	....	special thanks
Eddie Richardson	....	special thanks
Marc Robinson	....	special thanks
David Rootes	....	special thanks
Rowetta Satchell	....	special thanks (as Rowetta)
Steve Schmoll	....	special thanks
Courtney Taylor-Taylor	....	special thanks (as Courtney Taylor Taylor)
Aiden Thompson	....	special thanks
Venus	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Revolution Films

Distributors

• Optimum Releasing (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Accent Film Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Central Partnership (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Fine Films (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• GAGA Communications (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Gateno Films (2006) (Peru) (all media)
• Palisades Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2004) (USA) (all media)
• Pan Européenne Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Playtime S.A. (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tartan Video USA (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Tartan (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Clarity Post Production Sound  sound post-production
• Limehouse Recordings  sound post-production
• Pepper Post Production  post-production
• Q-Casting  casting

Also Known As:

Ice (UK) (working title)
Nine Songs (UK) (alternative spelling)
9 Canções (Brazil) (festival title) [pt]
9 Songs (Italy) (DVD title) [it]
9 canciones: Sexo en gira (Argentina) (DVD title) [es]
9 orgasmos (Mexico) [es]
9 orgazmov (Slovenia) [sl]
9 tragoudia (Greece) [el]
Kilenc dal (Hungary) [hu]
Nueve canciones (Spain) (DVD title) [es]

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:

According to the "Variety" review, the transfer of the film, which was shot in DV, was done by photographing a digital projection of the movie on a white wall, to create a negative from which prints for release could be made.

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:

Debbie

An anti-climax

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 I've previously seen to compare in explicitness was the 1976 Japanese work "Ai No Corrida" ("In the Realm Of The Senses"), 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 ("In This World"), 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.

The problem is that the film appears to be utterly meaningless. A British research geologist Matt (Kieran O'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.