9 Songs – Full Uncut Version
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C Main Program: B-
In his Science Fiction film Code 46 (reviewed
elsewhere on this site), the colorless futuristic police state and the
environmentally rotted outside world form hell throughout are only broken once
by a notable sex scene which admires the female form. For 9 Songs (2005), he expands on this by examining the
close sexual relationship between a man (Kieran O’Brien) and woman (Margo
Stilley) in honest, graphic terms. Their
honest, serious, mutually deep involvement is like little you have seen on tape
before. They actually give fine acting
performances and convince us of the realism of the sexual connection, which is
as brave and effective as Vincent Gallo’s work in the underrated Brown Bunny.
The film opens with a sex scene, followed by a concert
performance, followed by another sex scene, all the way until the full 69
minutes (pun intended by the director) is finished. Unlike XXX releases or features films that usually botch
sexuality, Winterbottom handles it with exceptional finesse, though those
scenes are what we would definitely describe as hardcore. Instead of the role playing and fronting of
many a bad XXX work, the sex here is as sincere as it is real. Both participants are in fine shape, form
and have the expected endowments. What
is apparent is Winterbottom’s love of the female form, with many shots
inspiring oral sex in thought as it does in action. Any more of it and this could have been called 69 Songs,
but then it would have to be a mini-series.
Yes, the sex is some of the best caught on camera in a
long time, by default and because of its execution. However, the music by bands like The Dandy Warhols, Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club, Franz Ferdinand, Primal Scream, Michael Nyman and others are
intercut in a way where the music actually heightens the eroticism more and
more, giving each sexual sequence more impact.
That is not as easy to do as it sounds, offering the obvious joke that
if a bunch of name bands show up in your town and you are in a serious sexual
relation ship, go see them because your sex will only get better. Maybe that is the intent of the DVD. Either way, it works well enough to be one
of the best-ever pieces of taped eroticism to be made to date. Too bad it was not filmed, but I guess this
is to give it a “live” or raw “amateur’ look and feel, putting this easily
above just about any other such release to date. When you see it, you too will be able to safely say this
statement is accurate without seeing all the others. This is one case where hypothesis is accurate enough.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 image was shot
on tape and is not always as clear as it could be because of a slight
translation problem into NTSC and the patches of darkness throughout, though
the sex scenes are plenty clear enough.
The Dolby Digital and DTS mixes are not bad, with the DTS having a
little bit of edge, but the audio only kicks in when the bands play. Otherwise, this is dialogue based or has
silent moments, obviously including those intimate ones. Extras include brief interviews with
Winterbottom & the leads, videos for this and other Tartan DVDs, more on
the bands and music-only playback.
Don’t miss this classy work.
- Nicholas Sheffo
