9 Songs DVD Review:

Music has a way of attaching itself to memories and feelings, making it near impossible to hear familiar songs without thinking of a past relationship. Michael Winterbottom’s latest film, 9 Songs, plays more like an extended memory of a relationship than anything else. Mixing raw music with graphic un-simulated sex scenes, 9 Song is brutally and unflinchingly honest about the nostalgia of love.

The story is merely a series of memories that Matt, a twenty-something glaciologist has as he travels across the vast and empty world of The Antarctic. Each of his memories are tied uncontrollably to each of the titled nine songs from concerts he attended during the relationship, the first being the night that he met Lisa. It is a purely physical relationship to start but as they spend more time together it is clear that Matt loves Lisa, but never really clear if the feelings are returned. Using the music to show the state of the affair, 9 Song bounces back and forth between dynamic performances and the unadulterated lovemaking that occurs always at Matt’s apartment but never Lisa’s.

The decision to have the sex between the two characters be real was a strong choice which gives the film a slightly pornographic feel at times, but the purpose is not arousal. It clearly shows the strong physical side of the relationship in a way that few films have been able to capture so honestly. There is little dialogue and it is improvised, but the images are so powerful that the feeling comes across with unquestionable strength. As close as films such as 91/2 weeks may have come to showing the sexual attachment of a physical relationship, 9 Song clearly captures the moments with music and very real situations, making the film a piece of nostalgia for anyone who has ever been in love.

What little dialogue there is shows the difference between the two characters; Matt usually being dominated slightly by Lisa despite his attempts to make her think she can’t control him. There is more known about Matt as he talks about Lisa through voiceover in the South Pole.

The music ends up speaking more about the film than the characters themselves do, with fantastic live performances by nine great bands including the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand, and a great bit from Michael Nyman’s 60th birthday concert. As well as the concert scenes, music is used throughout the film. Most memorable is the haunting piano nocturnes by Melissa Parmenter which creep into the scenes of lovemaking making them seem more like a sad memory than any form of eroticism.

There is no doubt that many people will be turned off by the extreme use of sex in this film, making it difficult to recommend it to anyone with the slightest bit of conservatism, yet I found myself less offended by the use of sex in this film than I did the discussion of sex in The Aristocrats. Although many might view 9 Songs as pornographic, those that truly understand will see the artistic qualities of the film far outweigh any offensiveness.

There are really only two elements to the film; the music and the relationship. For those who are only interested in the music, the DVD is ideal. There is a feature on the DVD which allows you to watch the film with only the concert performances, all the way through. There is also a featurette about the bands in the film. For fans of the film, there are interviews with director Michael Winterbottom and the actors Kieran O’Brien and Margo Stilley. There is also a theatrical trailer.



Ryan Izay