Review of 9 Songs (2004) by Chris G — 22 Jul 2010

A lo-fi fuck-fest which may be the most honest account of 21st century love in old London town...

Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (â??Code 46â?? & â??24 Hour Party Peopleâ??) pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in mainstream cinema with this controversial little romantic drama which was well received at the 51st San Sebastián International Film Festival.

The deeply personal story of a boy, who meets a girl at a concert, engages in an intense sexual relationship with her, almost inevitably loses the girl and flies a light aircraft to the Antarctic to drill for ice core samples will be instantly accessible to anyone of this generation who has fucked and lost.

Rochdale lad Kieran O'Brien (â??24 Hour Party Peopleâ??) re-teams with the director for a solid central performance which holds together the all but non-existent narrative whilst newcomer Margo Stilley seems more stiff and stilted as the American lust interest cast out of the Richard Curtis playbook.

The titular 9 songs come from shakily shot concert performance from The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand, and a surprising turn from Michael Nyman, all topped and tailed by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on top form.

The now ever inventive director crafts a surprisingly honest film of love, or what passes for it, in modern day London, within which the highly graphic sex scenes seem no more out of place or perfunctory than the intercut concert footage which fills out the mumblecore style goings-on.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind (â??Code 46â?? & â??In This Worldâ??) picked up an award at San Sebastián for the 200 hours of well-dodgy digital video which was hacked down to the bare minimum to create this cold yet shockingly familiarly lo-fi feel film of its age.

â??You're isolated in a vast, empty continent.â??