Nine

Nine

Not to be confused with the sci-fi animation 9, or 9, the short film it was based on, Nine is the big screen adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, itself adapted from Fellini's 8½.

Confused yet?  You should be.

Fortunately Nine (the musical) isn't quite as confusing as its origins, although it does sometimes flirt with obscurity. Fellini was always known for his unique blend of the real and the imagined, and Rob Marshall's film-of-the-musical-of-the-film treads a very similar path as it tells its (rather slight) story. Don't expect anything as straightforward as Chicago.

Like 8½, Nine explores the psyche of a fictional movie director - Guido Contini, played with neo-Italian flair by Daniel Day-Lewis - through the various women who have influenced and nurtured him. As Contini struggles with his scriptless new film, and the hazards of juggling his wife Marion Cotillard and his mistress Penelope Cruz (yes, poor him), his mind wanders into flashbacks and fantasy sequences imagined as song-and-dance sequences.

And that's about it. There are a few minor revelations regarding Contini's upbringing, but they're so slight that there's every chance you'll miss them entirely. Nine is essentially about the music, and Marshall seems blinkered to almost everything else.

The end result is a film that's technically - and artistically - interesting, but which nonetheless fails to engage us where it counts. While the dance numbers are nicely choreographed, they often feel isolated and insignificant, as they've been grafted onto an entirely different script; but the script itself feels equally slight, as if the constant interruptions have stripped everything interesting from it. We end up with a constant tug-of-war between the story and the music, and neither ultimately wins.

What saves Nine from outright failure is the cast, who universally manage such a high level of performance that's it's hard to take your eyes from the screen, even when the story itself has collapsed into cliches and thin characterization. Daniel Day-Lewis truly deserves our attention as self-doubting director Contini, and his years spent in Italy clearly paid off in one of American cinema's most convincing chameleon acts.

The women who surround him are equal to the challenge too, despite the brief screen time that each of them receives. Cotillard fully deserves the accolades she was awarded, as does Cruz. Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren all make the most of their short scenes as well, and we mustn't forget the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie, who almost steals the show with one of the movie's most memorable sequences. If you didn't know better, you'd think she used to be an Italian hooker.

In fact the only person who falls short of expectations is director Marshall, although given Nine's subject matter maybe we should assume that he was undergoing his own crisis of faith at the time. His end product falls noticeably short of the high standard set by Chicago, and if it wasn't for the talent of his stars he might have ended up with a true flop on his hands.

Oh, and for those who are wondering, the title is a pun on Fellini's original 8½. That was named after the Italian director's previous output (six features, two short movies, and a collaboration: which he counted as 7½ films), and Nine adds an extra half to the score - apparently music accounts for half a movie in its own right. In the case of Marshall's film that's pretty close to the mark, but unfortunately half a script isn't nearly enough.

3/5

FILM REVIEW : Nine (2009)

                                              The awful poster for the aptly awful Rob Marshall film Nine

 

Going into Nine, I had no clue what to expect. Months upon months of anticipation for director Rob Marshall's return to the musical format were finally to unveil themselves as either time well-spent waiting or time that could have been better spent elsewhere. Unfortunately for me, Nine fit the bill for that latter notion. It was an excruciating, nearly intolerable film experience... and yes, ladies and gentlemen: it was that bad.


Nine is derived from a 1980s Broadway musical that was a big hit at the Tony Awards. It follows famous Italian film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he sets out to make his film Italia. Sounds a bit like there's no conflict right? But here's the catch: there's no script!
However, Nine decides to focus itself not on the real conflict at hand. Instead, we see Guido's interactions with women... lots and lots of women. We get to see him with his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his costume designer (Judi Dench),  a prostitute from his childhood (Fergie), his wife (Marion Cotillard), a Vogue reporter (Kate Hudson), his mother (Sophia Loren), and his muse (Nicole Kidman). Don't ask me what the deal with the Vogue reporter is... I don't get it either.
Where to begin on this one? For starters, this film shouldn't have been made. Plain and simple. It's great material for a stage production, but it's just not the type of thing that works on film.
Another big problem here is the direction. Rob Marshall's work in Chicago, with the juxtaposition of club performances in Roxie's mind and real-life events, was perhaps the highlight of the film. However, he does the same thing here... and it just doesn't work. Why does it not work? Well, in Chicago, there was a reason for the juxtaposition: to prove that society had been corrupted by the media. In Nine, the juxtaposition serves no purpose whatsoever. It only brings a sense of awkwardness to the film. Again, this should have never been made into a film.
Now for the acting... I'll tackle this in the order of which each actor performs his/her songs.
 

Daniel Day-Lewis was horribly miscast as Guido Contini. Someone like Robert Downey, Jr. (or anyone else really) would have been better for the part

Let's start with Daniel Day-Lewis, shall we? Generally considered the greatest actors of his time (disagree, but he is one of the greatest no doubt) and one of the greatest ever. However, that doesn't mean that you can play every role out there. While his method acting and dedication to his roles are admirable, Day-Lewis makes for a quite terrible Guido Contini. From the moment he appeared on screen I knew that he was horribly miscast. Of course, who would actually turn down Daniel Day-Lewis if he wanted to be in someone's film?

It feels odd saying this, but he gets too much into Guido Contini the persona and not enough Guido Contini the man. From what is given to us in the tepid screenplay, surely Guido is a charming man. Day-Lewis exudes nothing charming in his performance whatsoever. He just masters the "method" part of the performance and nothing else. In regards to his singing, he's not bad at all. In fact, I'd say he's pretty good. However, unlike others cast in the film, you can tell that he's no professional singer.
 

Penelope Cruz completely validates last year's Oscar win as she sizzles in her rendition of "A Call from the Vatican"

Next up... Penelope Cruz. Easily better than her great but not Oscar-worthy work in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As Carla, Guido's mistress, she gets to sing, dance, emote, and be funny. Essentially everything you could want in a performance, right? Basically, yes. Cruz performs "A Call from the Vatican," which is arguably the "signature song" from the stage musical. She certainly does the song justice Complete with suggestive movements and top vocal form, Cruz adjusts herself physically to embody the song. However, Rob Marshall does her no justice. Her big number is oddly juxtaposed against Guido in a hotel room while being inspected by a doctor. Her chance to shine completely loses its effect thanks to this strange juxtaposition. Effect is also taken away by the sound editing. Cruz sings the song well, but the scene switches from live vocals and the studio vocals that appear on the soundtrack. Trust me: I've listened to the recording enough times to know. Why would this be done? I have no clue. At any rate, Cruz also does well in her dramatic scenes.
 

                                                  Judi Dench gives us some fun dialogue and a strong rendition of a bland song

Judi Dench as Lillaine is a riot. She delivers nearly every single line of dialogue as if it's the next best one-liner you've ever heard. Unfortunately, that's about all she does. Her performance of the song "Folies Bergere" works well enough, but the song itself isn't very memorable. It's essentially a bland throwaway song that isn't even staged very well. The juxtaposition, however, makes more sense that of "A Call from the Vatican" but is still unimpressive and dull.
 

                                                                                            Stacy Ferguson is surprisingly good as Saraghina

Now we get to Stacy Ferguson, perhaps better known as Fergie from pop/rap group the Black Eyed Peas. She plays Saraghina, the prostitute that Guido remembers from his childhood. She essentially has one scene in the film which requires her to do anything. That scene? Her performance of "Be Italian" as Guido is reminiscing on his childhood. To my surprise, she's actually very good. She has great vocals, and... well... she plays Saraghina very suggestively. Granted, that's the point, as Saraghina is a prostitute like I mentioned earlier.
 

                     Marion Cotillard gives the best performance in the film... which pleads me to ask, "What else is new?"

Marion Cotillard is next. She holds her own against Daniel Day-Lewis (not hard in the case of Nine) and gives the best performance in the film. In both the musical and non-musical scenes she seems to be effortless in her craft. She pulls off her rendition of "My Husband Makes Movies" excellently, especially when considering the poor staging of the scene. Easily some of the best dramatic acting in a musical ever. She doesn't overact in the scene, which definitely helps. Her performance of the new song "Take It All" leaves you wanting more music, more theatrics, and more Cotillard. That's more than can be said for the other performances in Nine.
 

                                                   Kate Hudson was good... but was Stephanie a necessary character?

Now we have Kate Hudson. She made her big break with her Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous. Since then, however, she hasn't seemed to be making very strong - or should I say "Oscar-bait" - choices in film. That seemed to come to an end with Nine... or did it? The chance to star in this film certainly looks good on paper, especially for Hudson who is probably trying to validate her first Oscar nomination. While she works in the role, no validation comes of it. And I'm not trying to say anything bad about her work in Nine. I thought she did pretty well, and her song "Cinema Italiano" is performed with the utmost star quality. That's obviously not the problem here. The problem is that Kate Hudson's Vogue reporter Stephanie is an unneeded character. Granted, there are several characters in the story who have no real purpose, but Hudson's is probably the least important of them all. Again, she was good, but the character wasn't really necessary
 

                                                            Sophia Loren did good... but why was she there again?

The fact that Academy Award-winning legend Sophia Loren hasn't been doing a whole lot recently led to Oscar buzz when everyone started making their pre-season Oscar predictions. Of course, that buzz has faded, and with good reason. Not that she was bad, but like Hudson's character, this is a true throwaway character. She doesn't really get to do much in the film other than sing a sleep-inducing ballad called "Guarda la Luna." Her vocals are lovely, but again, the character of Mamma is surprisingly pointless.
 

                                      Nicole Kidman did great, but the character should have been in the film more

Last but certainly not least is Nicole Kidman, who is easily one of the best actresses of the past decade. She received her first Oscar nomination for a musical called Moulin Rouge!, so it would seem pretty natural for her to star in another someday. She was actually offered the lead in Marshall's Chicago but turned it down to play Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry's The Hours. She received Best Actress that year, but I think we all know that she would have probably won even if she took the Chicago offer. Even so, it took nearly a decade to get Miss Kidman to star in another musical, which leads us back to now.

Kidman portrays Claudia, Contini's muse and famed actress who is to star in the film Italia, which again has no script. It's actually a very unique circumstance: the character isn't completely unneeded, but more should have been done with this character. The vocals on her rendition of "Unusual Way" had some "studio magic" done on occasion, but she overall pulled it off well. In fact, this is one of the only song sequences that works against the real-life setting! But as her character has more significance to the story of Guido and his film than any other woman in the cast, I think that we should have been treated to at least ten more minutes of this character.

As a fan of musicals, I am sorry to report that I absolutely hated Nine. The performances (save for the usually great Daniel Day-Lewis) were great, and some of the music worked, but the awkward staging and bland screenplay ensured this to be a dull movie experience.

Not recommended

Rating: 4.0 out of 10 stars (2.0 out of 5 stars)

Photo Courtesies
Nine:
Daniel Day-Lewis: More Intelligent Life
Penelope Cruz: Dameon's Movies
Judi Dench: New York Daily News
Stacy Ferguson: LiveJournal
Marion Cotillard: Moncinema
Kate Hudson: Filmofilia
Sophia Loren: BlogDance
Nicole Kidman: 

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Julian Stark (pen name)<br />
<br />
Founder/Editor: Movies and Other Things<br />
<br />
http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com

Booze Revooze: A Drinker's Skewed View of NINE

Final Proof: 1½ Shots

You know how you drunk drive with Italians? ‘ Cause i sure as hell don’t. This movie was like riding with an Italian granny on her bike over a grassy field. It’s more like…

You know how you get drunk with a momma’s boy? He sits there simpering in the corner booth, whining about how great he is and how no one understands him except his mom. He’s a genius and the more he tries to prove it the less convincing he is so he keeps drinking and that makes him more defensive until he starts freaking bawling right there and drooling long saliva strands into his mug while these hot girls strut around him and fall in love with him because he’s a rich and famous tortured soul but he’s too absorbed in his pathetic life to notice them and all you want to do is torture his ass for real. Of course the evening ends with a bar fight, when you drag his whiny butt outside and kick it up one side of the alley and down the other.
Yep, you got it, another movie that makes me hate being a guy. Are we really the self-absorbed navel lint eating egoists that modern movies make us out to be? On top of that, no one told me Nine is a musical. Where were you guys with my back after all the time i had yours? Y’all know the only thing i hate more than romantic comedies are romantic comedies where they break into song every damn minute for absolutely no reason. And then—did you listen to the song i posted at the beginning?—the lyrics are more nauseating than barfing limoncello through your nose.
Honestly, Nine is like watching two hours of horrible music videos and you can’t even turn it off to play a little GTA IV. Am i the only one on the planet who wonders why we have to watch Daniel Day Lewis singing? In an Italian accent? That sounds German?

Swear to god, what we have here is All That Jazz without any of that Jazz.
Buzz Kills (Watch  Out for Spoilers)

Sex: 3 Shots

Obviously, the only reason to see this thing is the talent. And by “talent” i don’t mean Daniel Day Lewis singing ridiculous songs in a bad Italian accent. i don’t mean a 75-year-old crooning about “Folies Berger” in far too revealing attire for a “handsome” woman.

Before i get deeper into this, Miss Demeanor suggested i just take all the photos and throw them into collages and not to do the individual shots because it would make this post forever long considering all the girls in this. Plus y’all, especially the patronizees, would get finger cramps from scrolling past the pictures and skipping over the text. But i’m all about the “Both/And” (screw “Either/Or”) so what i decided was to post the collages here and set up a separate post with the indie shots. Click here to access the pic post of The Girls From Nine.

Alls i want to say is i can’t believe they didn’t have nudity in Italy in the 60’s, the poor bastitches.

We first see Penelope Cruz (35) singing a song that begins, “Who’s not wearing any clothes? I’m not. Who’s not afraid to kiss your toes?  I’m not.” And you thought i was kidding about how crappy the songs were.  To make it worse, she sings about how she’s naked and comes out wearing the teddy she has on in the top picture up there. Sure, it’s not bad but it’s not better than nothing.
Fergie’s (35) highlight was a number where she grabs her own boobs, plus there was a close-up of her skin with goosebumps that made my nipples hard.
Let’s talk about Marion Cotillard (34). She’s pretty pretty and she’s my type of lady with her third-eye mole and everything, but she’s missing the magic vibe that rides my wavelength. And i’m sure she’s all broken up about it, too. This doesn’t mean she’s not talented, though.  Tell you what, Penelope Cruz may have done a decent job and all, but our little Marion-ette had a more subtle role and rocked it up one side and rolled it down the other. She shoulda got the Best Supporting Female nod, yo. Here’s my supporting nod:
Which brings us to Kate Hudson (30). i’m not gonna lie to you, i’ve been in love with Kate Hudson ever since i saw her in Almost Famous. It’s been an on again / off again kinda thing ever since she started appearing in romantic comedies and looking either super hot or super not. Nine was basically all of that rolled into one. Some shots of her brought me back my Kate of old and others simply left me cold. Like all of the other actresses, she sang killer good.
Nicole Kidman is the most intelligent of all the actresses acting as actresses in this disastrous movie because Claudia’s the only one with gay-dar for Guido’s gayness, and i don’t mean happy or homo.  Here’s the only scene i liked in the entire movie, because Claudia (Nicole Kidman) calls Guido (Daniel Day Lewis) on his crap [copied directly from the  script].

GUIDO:  In a way - yes - you have this man in the story and he's, he wants to take hold of everything, to devour everything, he cant' let anything go, or, he doesn't want to, and he changes direction every day, because he's lost, he's dying, he's bleeding to death...
CLAUDIA:  (deflating) And these muses - they fall in love with the man?
GUIDO:  Exactly!  They fall in love with him.
CLAUDIA:  (decisive) I'd rather be the man.
GUIDO:  What?
CLAUDIA:  I'd rather be the man.

Anyway, here's a fine looking Nicole (42):
And of course there were the Silken Butterflies as well, those gorgeous young women who’s flitting appearances are as stunning as they are brief.

Martina Stella (25), a young Italian actress trying to break into the business plays Donatella, a young actress trying to break into the business.Drink: 0 Shots

• Champagne at a ritzy hotel reception while planning the movie
• Daniel Day Lewis & Kate Hudson drink vodka at the hotel bar

Rock & Roll: -9 shots

Babes, all you have to do is listen to any of the songs i posted here to get an idea of why i had to wash my ears out with soap after sacrificing my head space for y’all while putting this post together.

Boring Crap

Written by:

Mario Fratti (Broadway musical Nine—Italian original)

Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston (Broadway musical Nine)

Michael Tolkin & Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Directed by: Rob Marshall

Starring

Marion Cotillard – Luisa Contini

Penelope Cruz – Carla

Fergie – Saraghina

Kate Hudson – Stephanie

Nicole Kidman – Claudia

Martina Stella – Donatella

Georgina Leonidas – Matron’s Daughter [Francesca]

Daniel Day Lewis – Guido Contini

Bottom Line

RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! Stay at home and watch All That Jazz.

Al K Hall<br />
Functional Alcoholic Slurperson<br />
(No, REALLY. Google &amp;quot;Slurperson&amp;quot; if you don't believe me.)

Last updated: 2010-03-30 22:05:04 by user08

NINE (Rob Marshall, 2009)

***USA

Mastroianni had a way of evoking Guido's neurosis in glimpses, without effort, making it intriguing – making you find your own way into his mind rather than pandering to you. With a frightening parody of an Italian accent (and an equally frightening one of singing) Day-Lewis looks like he is giving birth to his neurosis, chewing it up afterbirth-and-all and presenting it to you to re-digest. It really is sickening to watch. Sophia Loren looks particularly bewildered. Or is it just disoriented? In any case, the polite thing seems to be to stop looking.

As for the other women – there are too many of them. Or at least too many of them have nothing to do. Judi Dench is a treasure, and she garbles her way through her tacky number affably, but she is ultimately little more than an exposition device. Kate Hudson on the other hand is an economic device – she does nothing particularly wrong but she is acting in a different movie: her scenes play like excerpts from an even shallower concoction and there are enough of them purely for the Weinsteins to cut a trailer that will convince teens and pre-teens that they’re in for a feature length retro Pepsi ad rather than a period existentialist quandary with production numbers. Fergie is the Weinsteins’ other box-office weapon and she acquits herself well, but her number is more static than all of Memoirs of a Geisha (and the perfume-ad-monochrome sequence that leads up to is when the film’s warmed-over-Fellini stench hits hardest). When Nicole Kidman turns up for her cameo she is uncharacteristically relaxed and lovely, until she has to sing (a pompous ballad way beyond her range) – then she gives into all her usual strained impulses.

In the end, the two reasons that hefty patches of this turgidity are inordinately enjoyable and even moving are Penelope Cruz and, in particular, Cotillard. Cruz brings fire, sex and freshness, whereas in her numbers, Cotillard transports you into a dark, aching, enthralling and deeply affecting musical of the highest order. Ultimately you leave the theatre feeling violated by the hack’s conception of a singing and dancing epic that Rob Marshall presents, but also intoxicated by the rich, passionate musical melodrama that Cotillard seeds into the diva-worshipping movie lover in you (in all of us? Or just me?).

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Last updated: 2010-03-14 22:36:37 by user06

Nine

I give the movie: 2.5/5

With a criminal waste of the talents involved and a combination of muddled direction, you come to wonder whether Nine is a story about the fate of its very own director, Rob Marshall.

SYNOPSIS:

Experiencing writer's block is famed director Guido Contini (a competently distraught Daniel Day-Lewis) who is desperately trying to churn out a script for his next movie, Italia, after two flops in a row. The press is hot on his heels, driving him into panic anxiety.

Then there are the bevy of ladies who his life revolves around.

There is the fiesty mistress (Penelope Cruz, similarly crazy from previous Oscar-winning role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, thus gaining another Oscar nom this time), long-suffering wife (a brilliantly anguished Marion Cotillard), bubbly journalist (Kate Hudson, a role sticking out like a sore thumb), gorgeous muse (Nicole Kidman, wasted as an elegant vase), heavy-weight prostitute (an interesting but extremely underwritten role for Fergie), goodwill confidant (Dame Judi Dench, trying her very best) and the stately mother (a stately Sophia Loren), all mostly flat characters (save for Cotillard) who propel the maestro towards his seemingly ever-elusive movie-making.

PRAISES:

Marion Cotillard's heart-wrenching performance stands alone. Her transformation from a suffering wife to her scene where she finally gives up on Contini fully showcases her Best Actress prowess (which she won for La Vie En Rose).

Only at Fergie's sand-kicking rousing number Be Italian did the movie show signs of picking up musically. Otherwise...

FLAWS:

...we can only wish if the other songs were half as spectacular. Rottentomatoes.com's collective review puts it right. Nine was "curiously distant", especially on the emotional tone.

FINAL SAY:
Star-power doesn't make a good movie. Which is a gigantic pity. Probably only pretty to look at.

Wilson Ng - http://wilsoniscurious.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-03-14 04:38:59 by wilsoniscurious

Nine

DISCLAIMER: I have not seen Fedrico Fellini's "8 1/2," released in 1963 or the stage adapation, "Nine," which originally opened on Broadway in 1982 and won the Tony for Best Musical. The following review is based solely on my viewing of the newest version of the story. I actually was completely unaware of the original movie and Broadway show until after I saw the trailer for the new movie. The assumption is that the original movie and play are both a lot better...

"Nine" is directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"). It stars Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"), Marion Cotillard ("Public Enemies"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Judi Dench ("James Bond" movies starring Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig), Fergie, Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous"), Nicole Kidman ("Moulin Rouge), and Sophia Loren ("Man of La Mancha").

It's Italy in the 1960s. Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a film director who is working on a new movie and is having a mid-life crisis of sorts. He's having a heck of a time trying to start the production of his new movie. Besides his movies, Guido Contini is known for the various women in his life that have affected him greatly as a person. This includes his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his costume designer (Judi Dench), a random prostitute from his younger days (Fergie or Stacy Ferguson...whichever you prefer), a random and extremely annoying journalist (Kate Hudson), the star of many of his movies (Nicole Kidman), and his mother (Sophia Loren). Yeah, I opted not to list all the characters' names...it's just too much typing...

First of all, this movie has gotten some pretty horrible reviews. RottenTomatoes.com only gave it a 37% after averaging a ton of reviews. Most reviewers are only giving it 2 or 2 1/2 stars. Based on this I was expecting a horrible movie-going experience and extreme disappointment. This wasn't at all the case, though, and I thought the movie was much better than most reviewers would lead you to believe. This, of course, is assuming you like musicals to begin with. If you happen to hate them then just avoid "Nine" at all costs because it will just be slightly under 2 hours of absolute torture for you. Well, anyway, Rob Marshall directed "Chicago" in 2002 and it was an amazing movie and a great musical. It ran off with the Best Picture Oscar that year...which really bothers some people....but come on. "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," and "Saving Private Ryan" all should have won Best Picture...and they didn't. We just need to deal with it and move on with life. "Nine" is definitely not as good as "Chicago." Few movies will be and I'm assuming Rob Marshall will not be able to top it. I have a feeling Mr. Rob Marshall directing "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will not end well...at all.

The casting in "Nine" is phenomenal. Take a look at that all-star cast listed a couple paragraphs ago. This movie definitely does not lack star power and apparently famous people flock to Rob Marshall when they hear he's making a new musical. These actors don't even need to have experience singing...somehow Rob Marshall works wonders with them. Kind of like Renee Zellweger in "Chicago"...didn't expect her to be that great at singing. So true, Daniel Day-Lewis isn't the best singer. He's not bad at all though. Give the man a break - he's trying out his Italian accent and singing all in the same movie. He is way better than Pierce Brosnan was in "Mamma Mia!"...listening to that man sing is a horrible experience...luckily a couple times he is drowned out by Meryl Streep being amazing. It gets me in a bad mood thinking that there is someone in this world who thought hiring Pierce Brosnan to sing was a good idea...it really wasn't. Oh yeah, I should probably talk about "Nine" again. Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor with a lot of range. Just comparing him to his character in 2007's "There Will Be Blood," Daniel Plainview, makes the range evident. He is convincing as a man who makes a lot of bad decisions and has to deal with the consequences that result. It is also interesting to see his relationships with each of the women in his life and how they affect the man. Daniel Day-Lewis has chemistry with all the women in "Nine." And for the most part Penelope Cruz and everyone are capable singers. There are definite exceptions...but people can get away with being less than perfect at singing in a movie. None of the singing really bothered me, until Kate Hudson came around and nearly destroyed everything. Her song in "Nine" is so absolutely horrendous it almost ruined my Sunday evening. It sounded like a song from "High School Musical" and completely took away from the movie and was ridiculously strange and random. The song was written just for this new movie. That was an awful idea and I hope that man has some deep regrets. And fun fact: she is the weak link in an otherwise fantastic cast...in case you didn't know. On the opposite side of the spectrum: Fergie...her singing "Be Italian" is almost worth the price of admission. It's probably the catchiest song on the soundtrack and is just really great and puts me in a good mood. I don't know where to say this so I'll put it here...the songs are not as memorable as in most musicals that I have seen...and it's quite a list.

"Nine" looks fantastic. The set design, lighting, and general cinematography are impressive. Besides the cast the cinematography is the other main selling point for the movie. Everything looks like it's from the 1960s and Italy is just beautiful. There are lots of darker colors and dimly lit scenes that add a nice feel to the movie. Some scenes were shot in black and white which make for some variety as well as an authentic 1960s look. There are great shots of people and their surrounding areas as well as just overall nice camera work. Rob Marshall definitely knows how to make a stunning movie - which is great, because who wants to watch a musical that's painful to look at?

The movie was a little confusing, editing-wise and such. Throughout the movie there are a lot of scenes in the present. These usually deal with Guido making his movie or dealing with his wife, mistress, or a variety of female counterparts. There are also a lot of flashbacks and daydreams where all of the musical numbers took place. This was a similar setup used in "Chicago." However, in "Nine" things get kind of convoluted and the flow of things is not as seamless. At times musical numbers appear a bit random, just not as random as in "Mamma Mia!"

o I enjoyed this movie a lot. I didn't find it boring at all and it didn't seem to drag on...like this review....sorry...I just type and see what comes out. The casting and cinematography are fantastic. At times the movie was a little hard to follow and after this sentence I will probably never mention that horrible Kate Hudson song ever again...it was very unpleasant. So yeah...I don't know why there so much hate for this movie. 3 out of 4 stars...I think. I was having trouble deciding...I'll have to rent it when it comes to DVD to get a second look at it. It's better than "Mamma Mia!" which really only has Meryl Streep going for it and not nearly as good as "Chicago" which had almost everything going for it.

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Nine: More than the sum of its parts

The Movie Slut was skeptical. The movie trailer sucked — a frenetic slice-and-dice pastiche of song and dance. Sound and fury signifying nada.

Nine is so much more. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a Felliniesque movie director (think 81/2) with a raging case of writer's block. To understand how he arrived at this impasse, we meet the women in his life, from Mom, Sophia Loren, to muse, Nicole Kidman, to wife, Marion Cotillard, to lover, Penelope Cruz, to confident, Judi Dench, to reporter Kate Hudson. Yes, they all sing and dance, erotically and entertainingly, for the most. But it's Day-Lewis who elevates this movie above mere wiggles and jiggles, not just because he's an ace actor, but because his character is quite the guy.

See you at the movies, The Movie Slut

Nine

I was so psyched when I heard the man who made Chicago was gonna make Nine, cause I loved Chicago and I love everything Broadway. But this movie was mediocre at best.





Okay so Nine is an adaptation of a Broadway musical about a filmmaker named Guido Contini and the story of his struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.



This is still a pretty decent film but I expected so much more coming out of Chicago where every single song was memorable and was executed brilliantly. I haven't seen Chicago in 2 years and I can still talk about the Cell Block Tango or the tap dance scene or the courthouse puppet scene as if I saw them yesterday. But in Nine, there's nothing for me to latch on to. There was no theatricality, there was no life, there was no purpose to the songs. And it makes it worse when most of the songs in Nine are barely memorable or catchy.



The only song that I loved was Be Italian which was sang by Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas. And she totally nailed that song. I wished they did more with her character cause she only came in for that song and then she completely disappears.



And another thing that really made Nine flop was because there wasn't any reasons for any of the songs to be happening. The big rule of adapting a stage musical to the screen is that they must find a way for the musical numbers to work and still serve a purpose in the movie. That is why Chicago worked, that is why Hairspray worked, that is why Glee works. There was barely any connection between the plot of the movie and the songs. Don't think you can make a good musical just by putting in lots of celebrities and sexy girls dancing.



And when I say sexy girls, I mean... lotso half naked hot young girls dressed in fishnets and bustiers doing flips and splits and belly dances. The sexiness in Nine was so hot that it almost made me feel uncomfortable watching it. It was like I was watching Showgirls more than a musical.



And what can I say man, Daniel Day Lewis is fucking phenomenal in this film. This guy is like the Hayley's Comet of actors whereby he only does a movie once in a while but every time he does, he knocks it out of the park. Everything about him looked, felt and sounded 100% authentic Italian. He's majorly fantastic but it's too bad his character in the film is a fucking retard.



I had absolutely no compassion for Guido Contini at all. Matter of fact I really hated that bastard. Here we have this guy, who's rich and get's to bang the hottest women alive and all he does is break their hearts and mops about how he is the unluckiest guy i the world. It's almost as if Rob Marshall wanted me to pity this guy. Humph! Fuck you! You screwed Penelope Cruz and had the balls to dump her? Go to hell Contini!



I wasn't too happy when Penelope Cruz won the Oscar last year for Vicky Christina Barcelona, but if she won an Oscar for her acting in Nine, I'd totally support that. She plays Guido's mistress who starts out just being in the relationship for the sex and glam but falls in love with him in the end. I felt heartbroken with her when that asshole actually chooses Marion Cotillard over her hot ass. She gives the third best performance in this movie.



And her musical number was amazing beyond words. I tell you, there's nothing better than watching Penelope Cruz dressed in a tight bustier and thong sliding down silk on her vagina. That was the most titillating 3 minutes of the entire movie and that's saying a lot since 99% of the film has half naked ladies in it.



And did I mention how great Judi Dench was in this movie? It is a known fact that she cannot sing and she's always more of an actor. But when it came to her musical number, Judi Dench totally mops the floor with it. And the best part was she barely even sang, all she did was say the lyrics in key like what Rex Harrison did in My Fair Lady. But she strutted up and down that stage like she was goddess of the universe. I wasn't even looking at the sexy dancers in the back, I was worshiping Judi Dench the whole way through.



Overall, good artistry, great performance by Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench, great art direction, really poor execution.

RATING: 5/10

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NicholasC

Last updated: 2010-02-19 21:40:02 by user01

Nine (Movie Review)

I  loved Nine. However, this is definitely not your grandmother’s musical and will not be for everyone. Based on the Broadway musical, which in turn is based on the autobiographical Fellini movie 8 ½, Nine is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago) and written by Michael Tolkin and the late Anthony Minghella. Nine stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido, a legendary Italian director, struggling with creative block…struggling with his life.  Pressed by colleagues and the press for details on his next movie, he flees to a spa to reflect on his life. While there he has present-day encounters with and  flashbacks to the women who have been important  in his life and have made him the man he has become…for better or worse. The problem with the movie is that not enough of these scenes flow well together.

Each actress in the film has a featured song, some with better success than others, but all do a really great job. Penelope Cruz, as Guido’s mistress, Carla, is terrific. Her scenes are powerful…you feel her hurt and pain. But who knew she could sing and dance…I mean really sing and dance. Her voice is strong and what that woman can do with her body is amazing. Fergie, of the Black Eyed Peas, plays the prostitute who introduces the young Guido to sex. Her song, “Be Italian” is the film’s signature piece, the one you’ll hum leaving the theater and her way with it is a show stopper. Marion Cotillard, as Guido’s wife Luisa, has some very strong scenes that will break your heart and unlike her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, Cotillard does her own singing and does a great job. Nicole Kidman, as his muse, Claudia, has a rather small role, but she acquits herself nicely.  Who knew Judi Dench, playing Guido’s costume designer, could sing, but sing she does and shows off a nice pair of legs in the process. Sophia Loren, displaying the oddest eye makeup in movie history, has a small but important role as Guido’s dead mother. Kate Hudson, whose role as journalist Stephanie was unnecessarily added for the movie, rounds out the female cast. Finally, there is Daniel Day-Lewis. There appears to be nothing this man cannot do. He’s extremely graceful and can more than carry a tune.

To some extent Nine is undone by its script, but if you love great singing and dancing, you’re in for a fun time at the movies.

Last updated: 2010-01-22 06:57:07 by jfuchsman

Nine: 7, 8, Nine…and Got a Stomach Ache

Rob Marshall’s Nine is getting a lot of buzz…an astounding, all-star cast, five Golden Globe nominations (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy) and Marshall’s first movie-musical since the Academy Award-winning Chicago.  Here’s the breakdown:
Guido (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a famous Italian film director working on his latest movie…without a script.  Along the way he struggles to save his marriage with Lili (Marion Cotillard) while maintaining a relationship with his mistress (Penelope Cruz); he gets sage advice from his long-time costume designer (Judi Dench); he tries to please his leading actress (Nicole Kidman), answers questions from an American reporter (Kate Hudson) and struggles with psycho-sexual flashbacks to a prostitute (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren). Whew.
The Monkey: The music is the best part.  All the performances are fun to watch and all the actresses sing their little hearts out.  Judi Dench is always a pleasure to watch, in any role she’s in.  It was nice to see Nicole Kidman singing again (Moulin Rouge is one of her best films).  Penelope Cruz played the simpering mistress with the necessary amount of pout and her song, “A Call from the Vatican” elicited laughs.  Kate Hudson shook her booty in a sequined dress and looked good doing it.  But the real star of Nine…Fergie.  You heard me…that bi-curious, ex-meth-head from the Black-Eyed Peas.  Her performance as Saraghina (a prostitute from Guido’s childhood) stole the show.  She has no speaking lines, only a smoldering stare and a killer song (“Be Italian”).  Not only was the singing far superior to the other performances, the number was choreographed with a striking visual style that the rest of the movie was lacking.  And from a story stand-point, her brief appearance shed more light on Guido’s character than any other part of the movie.
The Weasel: The plot.  There really wasn’t one.  A director has no script for his movie and cheats on his wife…hmm.  While Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance was convincing, it was almost too convincing…he was an unlikable adulterer who couldn’t get his act together.  Lacking a likable protagonist, the movie fell apart.  The song interludes felt more like a cabaret show than a coherent story.  Marion Cotillard has a stunning voice, but her two songs were buried in horrible staging and confusing choreography.  Many of the songs were forgettable (which is sad, because most of the actresses only had one song), and in a musical, forgetting the songs leads to forgetting the movie.
Watch it for the music, watch it for Fergie.  Better yet, watch Fergie’s performance on YouTube and buy the soundtrack.  I’m baffled that Nine has been nominated for so many Golden Globes…I guess we’ll see what the Academy has to say about it.
2 Death Stars out of 5
http://hearculturepop.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/nine-7-8-nine-and-got-a-stomach-ache/ 

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