9½ Weeks: Little Pieces of Humanity – The Films of Adrian Lyne

When Elizabeth met John, she was a smart and sophisticated woman in control of her own life. Intrigued by his enigmatic and aloof personality, she plunges into a relationship of heading sensuality…a relationship that intensifies into a nightmare of fantasy and domination. Soon Elizabeth must choose: between her desires and her sanity. A media cause célèbre when originally released due to its subject matter, 9 ½ WEEKS is, in fact, a restrained yet sensual drama exploring submission and dominance within a relationship. Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke have remarkable screen chemistry together as the film follows their characters’ desire, infatuation and obsession with one another. 

“Convincing, complicated and sensual.” Chicago Sun-Times 

LITTLE PIECES OF HUMANITY - THE FILMS OF ADRIAN LYNE 

In a recent interview the filmmaker Adrian Lyne says that he looks for the “little pieces of humanity” when shooting a scene. Some tangible details that give his characters that extra dimension that an audience can recognise and identify with. Lyne makes movies populated by characters dealing with emotionally-engaging issues, often these issues revolve around relationships and sexuality, and are always presented in a highly stylish manner. But it is those persuasive “little pieces of humanity” that gives the films their edge. They ground them in a relatable form of reality and allow the films to resonate with audiences at the time of their release and beyond. 

This summer, Triskel Arts Centre presents a season dedicated to the work of Lyne, a British director who forged a career in Hollywood by making some of the most popular and talked about films of their time. We will screen his first six features: Lyne makes his debut with the moving coming-of-age story FOXES; the glitzy dance drama FLASHDANCE follows; 9 ½ WEEKS is the sensual and controversial relationship tale; FATAL ATTRACTION is the highly influential domestic thriller that was one of the highest grossing films of 1987; the criminally underrated psychological horror JACOB’S LADDER comes next; and the steamy drama INDECENT PROPOSAL was one of the most popular and debated films of 1993. 

These movies will all be screened over six consecutive Saturdays starting 26 July and tickets are on sale now.