9 Songs

A young glaciologist named Matt looks back on a stormy romance he shared with Lisa. The relationship begins after a crowded Brixton Academy concert and the pair soon finds themselves drawn together, exploring desire through a series of intimate encounters. Over several months, their passion unfolds in counterpoint to nine live concert performances that punctuate their evolving connection. The film tracks how music and sex intertwine, shaping trust and longing as they work through attraction, jealousy, and distance. Set against a soundtrack of nine live songs, the film contrasts quiet interior moments with crowded concert energy, using close up shots to convey intimacy. The storytelling is retrospective, with Matt recalling scenes that defined their relationship without revealing every detail.

Released in 2004, the drama is directed by Michael Winterbottom and based on an original screenplay. It features a lean budget and foregrounds the romance as it intertwines with nine live songs performed during the story. The film embodies Winterbottom's indie sensibility by balancing intimate performances with a documentary feel and a minimal cast.

The film is widely noted for blending cinema with real time music, featuring uncredited appearances by The Dandy Warhols, Franz Ferdinand, and Elbow. Its explicit intimacy and stage scenes sparked discussion about the line between art and pornography and the role of performance in film. The uncredited musical cameos prompted press attention and contributed to the movie's notoriety, helping blur the lines between documentary style and fiction.

Critics were divided over its audacious mix of romance, music and sex. Some praised Winterbottom for pushing boundaries and probing how desire shapes relationships, while others criticized it as sensational or ethically dubious. Central themes include longing, trust and the tension between private life and public performance. The film also raises questions about consent and agency and invites viewers to consider how memory colors what we remember about love.