Dvd
Nine
Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) helms a musical re-telling of Fellini's semi-autobiographical 8½. It tells the story of a famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) who confronts a mid-life crisis of creative and personal problems.
Guido must balance the many women in his life, including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the prostitute from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren).
The original 1982 Broadway production of Nine, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. Read a great interview between Marion Cotillard & Penelope Cruz at InterviewMagazine.com.
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Stacy Ferguson
Directed by Rob Marshall ('Chicago', 'Memoirs of a Geisha')
Written by Michael Tolkin, Anthony Minghella (based on the original film by Federico Fellini)
Re-make, Musical, Drama | 1hr 59mins | Rated (M) | contains sexual references | Origin: USA | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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2
Adapted from one of surrealist cinema’s most iconic and seminal pieces, Fellini’s 8 1/2, Nine plays more like an elaborate stage piece then it does a film. While this allows for a few stunning scenes, the film comes off – to use musical lingo – a touch flat, both surprising and disappointing given the talent assembled.
The heart of the piece is, of course, the song and dance numbers. While each is played out with dazzlingly glamourous production design and intricate choreography, none of the songs are catchy or powerful enough to stand on their own. The cast is willing but the combination of their star power and the technical flash feels more like covering the music’s weaknesses rather than enhancing its qualities.
On top of this, the narrative feels disjointed. While this allows for variety from one number to the next, it also means you are watching a string of tenuously related scenes rather than a story progressing and building, robbing the work of an emotional core.
It’s still enjoyable watching the bona fide A-listers, particularly Day-Lewis, Cruz and Cotillard, in a different setting from the norm but anyone expecting Nine to live up to its award season hype might be let down.SHARE:
The people's reviews
9 reviews
Press Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Nine is just plain adrift in its own lack of necessity.
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Empire Magazine (UK)
4
Though slightly marred by a clunky structure and a lack of truly catchy tunes, Nine’s wall-to-wall first-rate performances from its stellar cast (especially Cotillard) add a touch of class.
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Hollywood Reporter
The disappointments here are many, from a starry cast the film ill-uses to flat musical numbers that never fully integrate into the dramatic story. The only easy prediction is that Nine is not going to revive the slumbering musical-film genre.
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NZ Herald (Francesca Rudkin)
3
Looks fantastic but is emotionally underwhelming.
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Otago Daily Times (Christine Powley)
3
Daniel Day Lewis takes the cliché of the philandering Italian momma's boy, shows the charm and then savagely exposes the hollow core.
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Rolling Stone (USA)
Rob Marshall's flawed but frequently dazzling Nine is a hot-blooded musical fantasia full of song, dance, raging emotion and simmering sexuality.
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Variety (USA)
Sophisticated, sexy and stylishly decked out, Rob Marshall's disciplined, tightly focused film impresses and amuses.
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ViewAuckland.co.nz (Matt Turner)
4
Ultimately, the only problem with the film is that the songs themselves aren't especially memorable, although there's a chance you'll come out humming along to Fergie's “Be Italian.”
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