91/2 Weeks (1986)
The title is a reference to the duration of the relationship
between self-absorbed yuppie Wall Street shark John (Mickey Rourke) and
divorced art gallery owner Elizabeth (Kim Basinger). Elizabeth is
looking for true love, while John is searching for . . . well, for
something involving blindfolds, ice cubes, chocolate syrup, and
rolling around on peanut shells!
 There's not a lot of plot propelling this film. It's mostly a
bunch of sweaty, gymnastic interludes between Basinger and Mickey
Rourke, shot in sultry late-afternoon light (for moodiness and
intrigue).
If it weren't for the presence of Basinger and Rourke 91/2
Weeks would probably have been exposed as a tawdry sex fantasy
rather than the artsy experiment in human sexuality that some
critics considered it.
Having said that, the film does feature the best sex scene
involving food ever. Sadly, in the real world whenever a hungry
couple fancy a saucy re-enactment of the famous scene, all their
refrigerator contains is cheese slices and some leftover pizza.
When the allotted nine and a half weeks are up, Elizabeth
finally comes to realise that John has been using her (We could
have told her that twenty minutes into the film!).
This film provided Rourke one of his most notorious roles
(which prompted further ventures into erotic-noir), and positioned
Basinger as a sexual icon and budding star.
Rourke returned for the inferior 1997 sequel, Basinger didn't -
which says a lot about their differing career trajectories after
this film.
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