Film - 9 Songs

by Anthony Strutt

published: 15 / 5 / 2005

'9 Songs' has created much controversy as it is the first UK made film to be passed uncut to feature full-on hardcore sex. Anthony Strutt argues, however, that it is equally important as it is the first to depict the indie music lifestyle

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Directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring Kieran O' Brien and Margo Stilley, '9 Songs' is an important film, but one that needs to be experienced on the big screen. It is the first UK made movie to be passed uncut to feature real full-on hardcore sex, but that's not why it is being reviewed here. '9 Songs' is very much a film of now. It is a film about a relationship from start to finish and features a couple whose soundtrack to their lives is indie music, and especially live concerts i.e the 9 songs of the title, which on the big scene simply blow you away. The film largely takes place in London and the live footage is mainly shot at Brixton Academy, but also at the London Forum and Hackney Empire. Matt (Kieran O' Brien) meets Lisa (Margo Stilley), at a beautifully filmed Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gig at Brixton Academy. They go home and make love, and this is how the film then carries on. For each live song we then see a sex scene. The film shows fellatio, cunnilingus, penetration (But with a condom)and ejaculation, much of which will probably be trimmed by the censor when it gets a DVD release. The relationship is, however, a loving one, and, while there is no violence, they do have lovers' tiffs. Matt takes Lisa to a lap dancing club where a girl lap dances her. He then walks out due to the fact that Lisa gets into it. She lattely gets addicted to her vibrator and ignores him. All the gigs are well filmed, and include live songs by Primal Scream, (whom are blurred for half of the song), British Rebel Motorcycle Club (who close as well as open the film), SFA, Elbow, the Von Bondies, Franz Ferdinand, the Dandy Warhols and Michael Nyman. The film does shock if you haven't seen this stuff on the screen before, but there is nothing here that most people won't have witnessed or experienced in their own sex lives except maybe some bondage scenes and also some cocaine taking. This is an excellent film, in which someone has at last had the guts to soundtrack an indie fan's life in which indie music is both a lifestyle and a choice. Bloody excellent ! See it while you can on the big screen.