9 1/2 WEEKS (1986)

Directed By: Adrian Lyne
Written By: Zalaman King & Sarah Kernochan & Patricia Louisiana Knop
Based on the novel by: Elizabeth Mcneill
Cinematography By: Peter Bizou
Editor: Tom Rolf, Mark Winitsky, Ed Hansen, Caroline Biggerstaff

CAST: Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Karen Young, Christine Baranski, David Marguiles, Margaret Whtton, Dan Lauria


I can see why back in this day the movie was controversial and considered risqué. I was happy to see that the film focused more on erotica more then blatant sex. Now having said that the film is pretty ridiculous.

The film plays like a 2 hour Calvin Klein commercial. The film tries to make everything look expensive and artistic and deeper then it really is. The leads are very attractive and unfortunately makes The film kind of depressing as it reminds you how good looking Mickey Rourke once was before he ruined his face with his lifestyle, but he still has the talent luckily. Kim Basinger looks like a supermodel as a art dealer. Half the film goes by before a actual sex scene occurs and that scene seems more like a rape then romantic. Then there is only one more sex scene really as anytime the couple is together, it seems like they go shopping more the anything. I understand the film was made in the selfish 80’s but after awhile I got bored. Plus the film seems fuzzy in half the scenes.

As the films goes on the scenes get more and more ridiculous they would be campy if everyone wasn’t treating the material so seriously. They introduce a artist character who maybe having signs of dementia then the film just drops him. There is a scene where
Kim Basinger dresses up as a man unconvincingly then starts a fight with a group of guys in a passing car. She then makes out with Mickey Rourke in a alley while still being chased then they hide in a stairwell. They then have sex on the steps as water rains down upon them but it isn’t raining, So where is the water coming from? I’m guessing it’s not sanitary. That is just the cream of the crop the rest must be seen to be believed but it is so slow I’m not sure you would want to.

The plot of the film is that a art dealer meets a stockbroker and they begin a sexual affair filled with his putting her through his kinky fantasies, but she slowly falls in love with him. She tries to get him to show his emotions for him. So it slowly becomes melodramatic. Since it was the forerunner, it didn’t suffer the fate as a lot of films built off the DNA of this film that went straight to home video. The films usually starring former stars, instead of major current stars at the time and having a studio behind them.
Screenwriter Zalaman King made a career out of it with films like WILD ORCHID (Where he moved onto directing) Starring Mickey Rourke and the series RED SHOE DIARIES Staring a younger David Duchovny

The film comes off as arty porn with a serious lack of hardcore sex scenes. It’s more hype then anything else.

I expected more considering the cast and director I know Adrain Lyne tends to direct a lot of erotic film usually erotic thriller but he does have a good eye and is a good director and is definitely better then this, maybe if the film had a focused plot it would be more enjoyable but as it is it fails. It tries to basically show Kim Basinger’s character breaking down mentally due to this relationship throughout the film.

Skip It.

GRADE: F