Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)

i must have seen a different film!!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is a movie that breaks many taboos, not just fun naughty ones, but deep-seated cultural ones. There are some unforgettable scenes (don't miss the striptease scene, which is amazing two decades later!) and a great soundtrack. The film's photography is gorgeous, using darkness and rays of light to set the shifting contexts of sensuality and sensation throughout. Rourke and Basinger are both superb in their roles, John who is painfully frozen in his incapacity to feel, and Elizabeth who grows visibly in self awareness over the course of the film.The chemistry between Rourke and Basinger is electric. You can practically see the sparks fly off the screen. Is Rourke's character a nice guy? Not really. However, is he sexy, and would he make most women melt? Yes he would without a doubt. The story is compelling and absolutely fascinating as you watch the couple's relationship spring up and then unravel. Highly recommendation for all erotic movie lovers.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Nine ½ Weeks (1986): Dir: Adrian Lyne / Cast: Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Margaret Whitton, Dwight Weist, Karen Young: Erotic fantasy that spans memories that linger pain and pleasure. Kim Basinger plays Elizabeth, a beautiful woman who works at an art gallery. Mickey Rourke plays the mysterious John whom she encounters at an outside market. Their chance encounter leads to some pretty steamy sexual activity that are stylized with well placed lighting, locations, and innovative sex. Elizabeth is open to romance but is open minded to John's sexual world of blindfolds, public sex, dressing up, and even a scene at the refrigerator to the tune of "Bread and Butter" that is both erotic and hysterical. Things tense up when sexual levels rise and John begins do demand activity that boarders on abuse and demeaning. Elizabeth is surrounded by an array of interesting personalities at work. Margaret Whitton plays her co-worker and roommate who confesses to be dating Elizabeth's ex-husband. David Margulies and Karen Young round out the art gallery personalities. Dwight Weist plays Farnsworth, an artist whom they are celebrating but whose existence is sheltered. Adrian Lyne previously made Foxes and Flashdance but here he creates a stylishly explicit view of the more adventures forms of sexual activity, and after the tears dry, it is those nine plus weeks that spark memories never forgotten. Score: 9 / 10

###This review may contain inadvertent spoilers###This is one of my favourite films and I believe that it never received the credit it deserves. The story is mostly seen as titillation at best and abuse at worst. Well, I think that this is one of the most beautiful films about wishful thinking that has ever been made. As far as I can see, it is the one good role that Mickey Rourke played. Kim Basinger - need I say more? Has a more dreamy woman ever walked this planet? The film's appeal lies not only in wonderfully cast main actors, the soft focus cinematography, great soundtrack and beautiful erotic scenes. It is a story of loneliness, of a search for human connection, a yearning for thrill, excitement and love - and a hidden sadness behind it all, a tragedy of circumstances and self-destructive behaviour which prevents people from embracing the possibility of love when it comes their way. I believe it to be a great depiction of the struggle between Eros and Tanatus that goes on in human psyche.It could be so bleak - as most of such "erotic exploration" stories so often are - fortunately, it stands out from the crowd with its funny, charming and silly moments as well as simply being beautiful and stylish. Even if it has no happy-ever-after this film is so well made that it can be watched again and again. The lack of dialogue is one of the main strengths of 9 and 1/2 weeks - the viewer can make of it what they will - a sensual erotica, a depiction of BDSM, a portrayal of exploitation or a tragic story of love that never was.

I just saw this movie for the first time without reading the book. I was familiar with the specifics of the story though so I knew what to expect. I was very disappointed in the movie though. I don't know if this is just the way 80s movies are or what, but there was so much potential for this to be a great movie but in my opinion fell way short.For one, I was majorly confused throughout most of it. They had all these little weird scenes with or without conflict and then cut away to another time with no explanation on what they were doing and why, or how the conflict was resolved. And the multiple wordless scenes with blaring music did not help.----->also in relation to this, every plot point was so subtle and shown in such a lack of detail that if I hadn't read a detailed synopsis and multiple book reviews with spoilers, I would have had no idea what was happening or why.Also, was I supposed to like John? Cause I didn't. I wanted to, but he was such an insensitive, insincere creep. I'm not sure if Mickey was trying to portray him this way or what....if he wasn't then I have serious doubts about his acting abilities. John always had that slimy fake smile on his face and never talked, and when he did it was so soft-spoken and hardly made sense. I don't know, I think the movie would've benefited with another actor, someone more charming and charismatic. I was really disappointed because I feel like this has the potential to be a really great, thought provoking, almost painful and beautiful movie, but almost every aspect of it fell short, from the writing to the acting to the editing to the music. They need to do a remake. In the mean time, I'll read the book and try to get the picture of creepy movie John out of my head while I'm doing so.