9 Songs is a modern love story, directed by British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (In This World, 24 Hour Party People, Code 46). Its principal actors are Kieran O'Brien (24 Hour Party People, My Kingdom) and Margo Stilley (acting debut) and Winterbottom's great friend Andrew Eaton is trhe producer.

Recently it hit the tabloid headlines for being too explicit, since it contains real sex between a couple, and, yes, it is graphic, although strangely enough not titillating. Perhaps, it is the matter-of-factness in the way that it's shot that takes it into the territory of the bland - certainly something does.

The action occurs in London in the autumn of 2003 and follows a casual affair between Matt (O' 'Brien) and Lisa (Stilley), with live footage from the nine concerts that they go to together: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman.

The film seems authentic enough, watching how the couple meet after a gig, then following their relationship through others. If you're into indie music, you might get more excitement from watching the bands than Matt and Lisa's afterplay.

The film is only 70 minutes long, so you might feel short-changed, since there's not much of significance to latch onto. With the music, you want more from the bands than is offered. With the relationship, you see enough of them physically, but that's all.

Given the shortness of the running time, it could have been fleshed out more - a telling argument at a friend's party, for instance, or extending the ending. There was a great furore about the sex content, but if anything the Kerry Fox film Intimacy and the Catherine Breillat directed Romance are more graphic.

Sex sells, of course, and with the news of the bands being shown in the film, it might find an audience, but if anything its best selling point is its realism. The sense of authenticity and naturalness is an asset, but ultimately you need more. One gets the impression that Winterbottom made this purely as an experimental low-budget interlude between weightier projects.