9 Songs (2004)

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:

Love | Rock Concert | Concert | London England | Song

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 (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Pan Européenne Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Playtime S.A. (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gateno Films (2006) (Peru) (all media)
• Palisades Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2004) (USA) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tartan Video USA (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• 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
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

Ice (UK) (working title)
Nine Songs (UK) (alternative spelling)

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:

The first sexually explicit film to be directly awarded a French mainstream certificate (and not the "X classification" created in 1975 for "pornographic or violence-inciting movies").

Goofs:

Continuity: The clock on the wall goes forth and back in time between shots.

Quotes:

[Lisa is standing in front of a mirror looking at her naked, skinny, flat-chested body]
Lisa: Do I look like a boy?
Matt: [sarcastic] Yeah. That's one of the reasons why I like you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Extremes (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Platform

A big fuss about nothing.

The fuss in the media, and by word of mouth, led me to want to see this film. I have always had a deep interest in censorship, be it of film, music, art or any freedom of expression.

I approached this film with the hope that it had been passed by the censors because it had some kind of beautiful message or story to tell. That the overall worth of the film had outweighed the controversy of the sexual content and it was such a well made film that to deny it a release would have been an injustice to film making.

But I was deeply disappointed. If you take away the explicit content of the film, it has nothing. It says nothing. It goes nowhere.

It has no particular storyline or insight to offer, the sex scenes are all it has to carry it. Without that it becomes nothing but a collection of badly filmed concert footage. As for the musical artists chosen, they are like the film..for twenty-somethings who think they are being daring and are pushing the boundaries, but are walking the safest path right down the middle of the road.

The characters are not developed at all, and what you do see and learn of them makes them instantly unlikable. Neither are they particularly attractive- which makes the sexual content unpleasant to watch. It may be (slightly) graphic but those people watching only for the hope of a sexual thrill will also be very disappointed.

I would much rather have seen this film without the graphic sexual content, and a more satisfying storyline exploring the relationship between the couple. As it is, it just lets you down in all areas.

It is put forward as a unique insight into a couples love making, but comes across as the cold, functional sex of a one night stand. There is not the passion, or the intensity, of a genuine loving relationship.

The film needed to be longer, to give time to develop the characters or some kind of story and give the viewer something to grasp. The sixty six minutes running time leaves you thinking "is that it?" and wanting a refund- both of the money paid for the film and the hour of your life you just wasted. It will remain notorious for its sexual content, and continue to appeal to those who have not seen it. Once seen, it loses any appeal.

This film is most likely to end up being passed around schools by thirteen year old boys and skipped to the sex scenes, or more likely the sex scenes downloaded from a peer to peer network.

I suppose the whole film does have one thing, an element of realism. It is like watching a very expensively filmed home video but as everyone knows other peoples lives may seem interesting at a distance, but close up they are just as boring as your own.In this case, dull is an understatement.

Maybe that is the point..but if this film does have one, it is very cleverly disguised.

I really wanted to like this film. I really wanted it to be the ground breaking, brave, work of artistic genius that the media promised.That this was the film that would open the gates for a more honest era of censorship.It isn't any of those things, the most interesting thing about it is the question of how it was given a certificate..the biggest question is why bother making it in the first place?