9 Songs

August 23, 2005

Rated: NR Runtime: 69 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The title and tagline for this movie really tells you what you need to know; 9 Songs, 69 minutes of Sex and Rock n Roll.

9 Songs The movie unfolds as a series of flashbacks as Matt fondly remembers his ex-girlfriend Lisa while he treks across Antarctica to get new ice samples. Don’t stop reading just yet, it gets better. Lisa was a bit of a wild child, and their taste in music definitely leans towards the punk-rock side of the isle. What you really end up getting is a little bit of sappy monologue while looking out of an airplane window, 9 songs performed in a concert setting, and a lot of nudity and sex. Yes, sex.

The part of this movie that seems to get the most attention is that what you are seeing isn’t simulated sex scenes between two actors as you would normally see in a Hollywood movie, but rather actual sex between two actors. To be perfectly clear here, you will see oral sex performed on both male and female, and intercourse that will leave no doubt in your mind that it’s actually happening. And there is a money shot.

Is the point of the movie to shock the viewer with this material? No, it really isn’t. While the sex scenes are undeniably steamy, they also come off as being very realistic between two lovers who are getting to know each other. The point isn’t to titillate the viewer but to immerse them in the relationship between Matt and Lisa, and for the most part this works quite well.

The story is strung together by the music, and this is the weak point of the movie for me. For a punk rock fan it might flow very well but I just wanted to skip the songs and get back to the story. The Von Blondies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Super Furry Animals just aren’t in my MP3 collection and I can’t relate to the music. Not having this common ground with the story really hurts it as an overall project since a big chunk of the movie is the music. It’s a shame the director didn’t make multiple versions of the movie, one for punk fans, one for metal heads, and one for classic rock. I’d love to see this same story strung together with Metallica, Judas Priest and Megadeth.

Due to the graphic sex depicted on screen I doubt you’ll find this in many megaplexes, so you’re gonna need to wait on Netflix to see this one. If you’re a fan of the music then just buy it as the concert performances mixed with the story will make it worth your money. Otherwise, rent it and enjoy the skin.

Posted by John | Filed Under 3 Stars, Drama, Kieran O'Brien, Margot Stilley, Music, NR, Theatrical