Lina Ko
###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.
boyan-denizov
This film was rather a disappointment to me. It starts promisingly but fails to develop and becomes boring and unconvincing. I think that this plot should have been developed above all as a psychological drama. But it is exactly psychology that is missing here. Instead, it relies on visual teasing. But a film is more than mere photography. Rourke is totally inappropriate for this role. His sweet smile, being on his face time and again, starts looking idiotic as the plot develops. Elizabeth, who is the central character, is also unrealistic. What is it that drives her into this dangerous and humiliating relationship? Taste for danger and adventure? Loneliness? Greed to catch a Wall street man? Masochism? We are not told to the very end. This film is a very pretentious attempt to reveal female eroticism but I think it fails in this. I find this film very un-erotic, perhaps because of the hints of sadism and masochism presented.
Dalbert Pringle
Yep. It's even worse than I thought.Meet John Gray, the incessantly smirking prick of Wall Street. He may have picture-perfect hair, but he sure ain't no Romeo..... And meet Elizabeth McGraw, the ceaselessly pouting ho from Soho. She may have sexy, flyaway hair, but she sure ain't no Juliet.And when John and Elizabeth get together for playtime in 9 1/2 Weeks - It has got to be some of the dreariest sexual-obsession soap opera that I've seen in a mighty long time.If you can believe it - Back in 1986 this laughable, $17 million production, whose story was clearly 80% style over substance, was taken so seriously by its sexually-obsessed audience that it actually made back 6 times its initial costs at the box-office in no time flat.On a side-note - I think it's really scary to see just how drastically Mickey Rourke's looks have deteriorated over the last 30 years. Seeing him now and seeing him back then, you'd never, ever guess that these 2 screen-images of Rourke are, in fact, one and the same person.
tiffany hillman
It's interesting how both characters find themselves together, It's pure chance, you can see instantly that John is intrigued by Elizabeth, during the meeting stage you see that she is scared of him, because she doesn't know what to think. During there time together and there sexual games Elizabeth's desires entwine with John's and they head towards a disastrous ending... I was confused about the hooker part though... Was it about control? I don't know but you could see that Elizabeth definitely had enough I was gob-smacked about the ending, shocked really, It was only at the end that John tells Elizabeth about himself but she still leaves, I wanted her to go back so badly and I was stunned when she didn't... As I said wow great performances from both Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke this is definitely one of my favorites left me with a mix of feelings... Wow is all I can say thumbs up to Adrian Lyne for this movie about A women spending 9 1/2 weeks with the perfect stranger... Amazing !.
AD
