Movie Review - 'Nine'

Nine Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, and Penélope Cruz Directed by Rob Marshall Rated PG-13

Physically beautiful and a little troubled underneath, Rob Marshall’s Nine is the musical of year, although that's based more on a lack of other musicals to compare it to than how well it succeeds. It's the kind of film for which the Golden Globes are made but not the Academy Awards nor permanent places in our memories. Unlike his previous song-and-dance act, Chicago, Nine is bogged down by its story and more musical numbers fail than succeed. In Chicago, to note the difference, the songs fed back into the narrative seamlessly. In Nine, while several of the tunes are absolute showstoppers, that's exactly the problem: They interrupt Marshall's story and it's hard to get it back on track. The setup will sound familiar to fans of classic European cinema, because it is in essence a reborn version of Fellini’s 8 ½, by way of the stage. Guido (Daniel Day-Lewis) is an Italian director struggling mightily with his next project. A week away from production and he has no script. Guido begins imagining the women in his life – from his mother through his first flirtation and up to his concurrent wife, mistress, and muse – as the genesis of a new film, although it appears to be a film he’ll never make. Marshall has assembled a marvelous cast. Only two of its members haven’t won Academy Awards, and only one (the Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie) has not been nominated. While it’s interesting to see Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, and even Kate Hudson sing, they all seem a bit limited. The worst impression, oddly enough, is made by the best actor in the cast and maybe the best actor in the world. Daniel Day-Lewis seems uncomfortable with his accent, his clothes, his fellow actors, and even his solo performance. Every actor has a splashy musical number, and thankfully Marion Cotillard (an Oscar winner for the musically rich Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose) gets two. Cotillard and Penélope Cruz are the highlights, and the original composition reserved for Hudson - "Cinema Italiano" - appears to receive the most attention from the director. But the limited emotional pull of this film comes from Cotillard as Guido’s languishing wife. He is married to the movies, not her. He is passionate with his mistress (Cruz), not her. And he mines movie magic with his muse (Kidman), not her. Cotillard could be a major star in America if she chose to go that route; undeniably beautiful, intelligent, and talented, she has the rare quality of grabbing our attention from actors like Johnny Depp and Daniel Day-Lewis. That's easier said than done. Cotillard's two songs reflect a woman scorned and a woman defeated, and she carries them off extremely well. And she's also the most malleable cast member with traditional dramatic dialogue. If you feel anything while watching this film - a more difficult bar to clear than you might have imagined - it's when she's on screen. No doubt, there is a fantastic movie in here somewhere, and for a few moments, Marshall and his cast achieve it. But minus a few musical numbers and Dion Beebe’s sumptuous cinematography, Nine doesn’t add up.

Comments

[SEAN]

I liked the film, but I did too think it could have been better but I kinda attribute its blunders due to the story itself, it is a bit self indulgent & not too complex....

However I didn't get the vibe that DDLewis felt uncomfortable or shaky w/ his accent or role or other actresses whatsoever & I thought I looked at him closely, so I'm not too sure how you came up with that conclusion Colin...can you possibly clarify a bit..????

Marion Cotillard definitely the highlight, I wanna marry her really bad!!!

Oh & my major question is--- Why is this a film that the Golden Globes love..????? I don't understand that sentence ...

[Get The Big Picture]

Because of the musical/comedy split. A musical always gets nominations, no matter how good or bad it is (*cough* Mama Mia).

[Angela]

No question Marion is a talented actress, but in Public Enemies she was great in a couple scenes and pretty mediocre in the rest. In the beach scene where she and Dillinger gaze into each other's eyes, her eyes go left and right, while Depp's eyes go up and down - gave me motion sickness. I loved PE, though - Depp and the rest of the cast were wonderful!

[Jesseca]

i don't understand quite how it got its title as nine...?

[sobie]

I am amazed with this 'article' - who in the right state of mind let you be the critic???????????
I am from Europe, living in the US close to 14 years, and hate musicals, and think that the US cinematography, just like the economy is goind down, but this movie is SOMETHING ELSE - DDL was uncomfortable?????/What you were on man when you watched the movie?
It has some amazing group scenes, some amazing LONG SHOTS, again, something not so often seen in recent movies.....
It is a great musical, a feast for eyes and ears, beautifully executed......Again, I HATE MUSICALS, and was quite reluctant to go and to see the movie...but, not even ten minutes in it, I was stunned.....ROB, this one is for the books....
and for this 'critic', maybe you should go back and see it again - and pay attention what happens, when the movie is done - NO ONE LEAVES IMMEDIATELY....quite interesting...people sit through end credits....enjoying the music......
'getthebigpicture' should hire some real critics, not some schmucks with no experience or no eye for beauty...or film, in general....

[Marion]

I agree totally with Sobie from Europe. I am from Canada, and loved the movie. DDLewis was fabulous, and the music and dancing, very well done. The cinematography was stunning. I LOVED it!!

[Cindy]

I'm also from Canada and think Rob Marshall, is one of the most brilliant directors breathing life into film these days. He's done a grand total of three films, all of them stunning in one way or another. The responsibility of depth of charachter stems from the material he's working with - not his performance as a director. I also challenge even the most experienced directors to combine a Fellini movie...turned into a Broadway Musical...back to a musical on film ---and give it the style and visual depth that Rob Marshall has contributed.

One aspect of his films that I now always look so forward to is the nurturing and growth he provides his performers (and crew), often taking them to levels they never thought they were possible of rising to. In "Memoirs of a Geisha" he had to direct his cast, through interpreters, in four different languages. As in "Chicago", many of his "Nine" performers had either never sang or danced and Fergie is not someone who has a list of acting credits. I haven't seen Kate Hudson so well directed since "Almost Famous".

If you want to truly enjoy this movie, you need to think outside the box a little bit - as Rob Marshall does with every film he takes on. If you watch Fellini's "8 1/2", see the Broadway musical, watch "Nine", listen to the director's commentary on the DVD, then I don't think you will be nitpicking about shallow character development or saying that actors, who have never sang and danced, give limited performances.

If you take it all into consideration, then you won't be focusing on some imaginary bar that the movie or Rob Marshall should have hit, you'll be admiring the achievements that both he and his cast and crew have made.

[Cindy]

Oops! Sorry about the typos