Anyone who complains that this movie has no plot either hasn't seen or must feel the same way about Fellini's classic "8 1/2" since "Nine" has basically the same plot. And yes, there is one.
Guido Contini is a filmmaker facing an existential crisis of sorts as the deadline for shooting his next film is approaching and he hasn't even written a script, as he's constantly distracted/battling with the women in his life - past, present, and possibly future. No, it's not a complex plot, but some of the best movies have simple plots - look at Best Picture "No Country for Old Men": A guy finds a bag of money and gets chased by a psycho for a couple of hours. Simple plot, GREAT movie. Same goes for "Nine." What makes movies with simple plots work are the characters, themes, and performances. "Nine" has those in spades. Daniel Day-Lewis shines yet again as this man with an insatiable appetite for life, love, everything - yet no matter how much of it he devours, he remains empty. He wonders if he's capable of real love, or even if he knows what it means. Of course Day-Lewis excels at conveying these internal struggles, but the most pleasant surprise here is that he can SING them as well.
Marion Cotillard may be the shining star of the film, as Guido's long-suffering wife. The best part of her performance is that she doesn't play it as a victim - she seems to be the one in command during all of her scenes with Day-Lewis. Guido needs her, and she knows it. And when Guido's transgressions (which you can tell deep down, she's known about for years) become apparent, she seems just as angry with herself for allowing them as she is with him. It's a masterful performance, as are her two musical numbers in the film. The first song she sings conveys the sadness she refuses to show in public, and the second is the polar opposite: a raw, angry, cathartic release from a woman who refuses to be a doormat. It will be a crime if she's not recognized come Oscar time for this performance.
Aside from Day-Lewis and Cotillard, Penelope Cruz is the other stand-out of the film. As Contini's mistress, she's very funny in her early scenes, but when you start to see how much she loves Guido and wishes they could have their own life together, she plays the heartbreak just as perfectly as the comedy. And yes, her musical number is quite the show-stopper.
The film also features solid supporting performances from Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and even Fergie. Though if I had to pick a weak link, surprisingly, it would be Kidman. She's not bad by any means, but she was using some kind of unidentifiable and inconsistent accent that I found a bit distracting, which is a shame because I usually enjoy her work. She just seemed miscast here.
Finally, the film looks great. Rob Marshall, while using the same "imaginary musical sequences" technique he did on "Chicago," seems to have really found the perfect way to use that technique in this film. Since the story it's based on was really about what goes on inside the director's head, that style seems better suited for this story than it did "Chicago" (though I did enjoy that film as well). And his work with cinematographer Dion Beebe has created some beautiful and classic imagery that celebrates the movies and why we love 'em. It certainly made me want to hop on the next flight to Rome.
Overall, I found "Nine" to be fantastic-yet-slightly-flawed musical masterpiece. I honestly don't know how anyone could give this movie 1 star.
Guido Contini is a filmmaker facing an existential crisis of sorts as the deadline for shooting his next film is approaching and he hasn't even written a script, as he's constantly distracted/battling with the women in his life - past, present, and possibly future. No, it's not a complex plot, but some of the best movies have simple plots - look at Best Picture "No Country for Old Men": A guy finds a bag of money and gets chased by a psycho for a couple of hours. Simple plot, GREAT movie. Same goes for "Nine." What makes movies with simple plots work are the characters, themes, and performances. "Nine" has those in spades. Daniel Day-Lewis shines yet again as this man with an insatiable appetite for life, love, everything - yet no matter how much of it he devours, he remains empty. He wonders if he's capable of real love, or even if he knows what it means. Of course Day-Lewis excels at conveying these internal struggles, but the most pleasant surprise here is that he can SING them as well.
Marion Cotillard may be the shining star of the film, as Guido's long-suffering wife. The best part of her performance is that she doesn't play it as a victim - she seems to be the one in command during all of her scenes with Day-Lewis. Guido needs her, and she knows it. And when Guido's transgressions (which you can tell deep down, she's known about for years) become apparent, she seems just as angry with herself for allowing them as she is with him. It's a masterful performance, as are her two musical numbers in the film. The first song she sings conveys the sadness she refuses to show in public, and the second is the polar opposite: a raw, angry, cathartic release from a woman who refuses to be a doormat. It will be a crime if she's not recognized come Oscar time for this performance.
Aside from Day-Lewis and Cotillard, Penelope Cruz is the other stand-out of the film. As Contini's mistress, she's very funny in her early scenes, but when you start to see how much she loves Guido and wishes they could have their own life together, she plays the heartbreak just as perfectly as the comedy. And yes, her musical number is quite the show-stopper.
The film also features solid supporting performances from Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and even Fergie. Though if I had to pick a weak link, surprisingly, it would be Kidman. She's not bad by any means, but she was using some kind of unidentifiable and inconsistent accent that I found a bit distracting, which is a shame because I usually enjoy her work. She just seemed miscast here.
Finally, the film looks great. Rob Marshall, while using the same "imaginary musical sequences" technique he did on "Chicago," seems to have really found the perfect way to use that technique in this film. Since the story it's based on was really about what goes on inside the director's head, that style seems better suited for this story than it did "Chicago" (though I did enjoy that film as well). And his work with cinematographer Dion Beebe has created some beautiful and classic imagery that celebrates the movies and why we love 'em. It certainly made me want to hop on the next flight to Rome.
Overall, I found "Nine" to be fantastic-yet-slightly-flawed musical masterpiece. I honestly don't know how anyone could give this movie 1 star.