Nine has all of the components that should make for a great film. The cast list is a who's who of award winners, it is from the director of Chicago Rob Marshall and co-written by Anthony Minghella; what could possibly go wrong? The film plays like a lost child, wandering around hoping to find its mommy while being distracted by every shiny thing along the way. Despite its pedigree, Nine misses the mark.
Nine follows Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), a successful Italian director, as he attempts to create his latest film. Contini is going though a midlife crisis, which is causing a creative block. If this stress isn't enough, he is also dealing with the multiple women that populate his life. And...That's pretty much the whole film, just Contini dealing with writer's block and too many ladies.
Let's first lay out the film's entire back-story. Nine is based on the musical of the same name, which is in turn based on the classic Federico Fellini film 8 1/2. I know, it's a mouthful, but this isn't a new idea, the same happened with The Producers and Hairspray. Nevertheless, the problem is in the source. 8 1/2 is not Hairspray. The original film was a semi-autobiographical film done by one of the greatest directors of all time. The story was obviously very close to the director, so the fact that there was little to it didn't really matter. The director was able to flesh out this rather simple idea into a complex and intriguing film. I have not seen the musical Nine but I have to believe that something has been lost in its translation to the screen. A quick search will reveal plenty of songs that were cut, and new songs that have been created for the film. The idea of cutting songs to shorten a musical isn't something new, but it seems odd when you notice some of the songs that were cut. The one that really grabbed my attention is the song Nine. I can't help but think that the song that shares its name with the title has to have some importance. Moreover, there is the fact that Kate Hudson's character has been added for the film. She plays an American fashion journalist and the only reason I can imagine that she is there is that the producers thought that an American audience would want to see at least one American character. It all seems unnecessary. Translating 8 1/2 to the stage was successful, but in the process of trimming down the show for a film, something was lost.
Marshall successfully adapted Chicago to the big screen. The method in which he adapted, by taking the songs out of the film itself and placing them into cabaret sections that were then intermingled with the rest of the film, worked for Chicago. Unfortunately, Marshall tries to employ the same method for Nine and it just doesn't work. The cuts to large dance numbers are distracting and at times feel almost unnecessary. Nine isn't catered to this style and is being forced to do things that are unnatural. Musicals live in their own world. We know that in the real world, people do not spontaneously break out into song, but in the world of musicals, we suspend this belief. Marshall should recognize that a musical does not have to be so rooted in the real. He refuses to allow the song and dance to coexist with the spoken word, and in the case of Nine this is a mistake.
Despite its many flaws Nine is beautifully acted. Every actor turns in a great performance. The standouts are Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard. Although they are given very little screen time, they are able to do so much with their characters. I found myself really enjoying Cotillard's performance as Contini's wife Luisa. While her role could be viewed as milquetoast, the standard jilted wife, every move she makes is honest and captivating. A scene in which Luisa realizes that a moment she believed to be special in her marriage is nothing more than a standard screen test is heartbreaking. In addition to the acting, the film is exquisitely shot. While I do not agree with Marshall's format, he does know how to craft a beautiful film.
Nine has a lot to live up to and slips up before it reaches the finish line. Marshall tries to shove the film into the same hole that Chicago fit so nicely. The format causes the film to feel scatterbrained. While it may falter in its format, the acting is exceptional. Every actor is catered perfectly to his role. In addition, the film is a feast for the eyes. Put together with the best of intentions, Nine is messy and falls short of its predecessors.
Nine follows Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), a successful Italian director, as he attempts to create his latest film. Contini is going though a midlife crisis, which is causing a creative block. If this stress isn't enough, he is also dealing with the multiple women that populate his life. And...That's pretty much the whole film, just Contini dealing with writer's block and too many ladies.
Let's first lay out the film's entire back-story. Nine is based on the musical of the same name, which is in turn based on the classic Federico Fellini film 8 1/2. I know, it's a mouthful, but this isn't a new idea, the same happened with The Producers and Hairspray. Nevertheless, the problem is in the source. 8 1/2 is not Hairspray. The original film was a semi-autobiographical film done by one of the greatest directors of all time. The story was obviously very close to the director, so the fact that there was little to it didn't really matter. The director was able to flesh out this rather simple idea into a complex and intriguing film. I have not seen the musical Nine but I have to believe that something has been lost in its translation to the screen. A quick search will reveal plenty of songs that were cut, and new songs that have been created for the film. The idea of cutting songs to shorten a musical isn't something new, but it seems odd when you notice some of the songs that were cut. The one that really grabbed my attention is the song Nine. I can't help but think that the song that shares its name with the title has to have some importance. Moreover, there is the fact that Kate Hudson's character has been added for the film. She plays an American fashion journalist and the only reason I can imagine that she is there is that the producers thought that an American audience would want to see at least one American character. It all seems unnecessary. Translating 8 1/2 to the stage was successful, but in the process of trimming down the show for a film, something was lost.
Marshall successfully adapted Chicago to the big screen. The method in which he adapted, by taking the songs out of the film itself and placing them into cabaret sections that were then intermingled with the rest of the film, worked for Chicago. Unfortunately, Marshall tries to employ the same method for Nine and it just doesn't work. The cuts to large dance numbers are distracting and at times feel almost unnecessary. Nine isn't catered to this style and is being forced to do things that are unnatural. Musicals live in their own world. We know that in the real world, people do not spontaneously break out into song, but in the world of musicals, we suspend this belief. Marshall should recognize that a musical does not have to be so rooted in the real. He refuses to allow the song and dance to coexist with the spoken word, and in the case of Nine this is a mistake.
Despite its many flaws Nine is beautifully acted. Every actor turns in a great performance. The standouts are Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard. Although they are given very little screen time, they are able to do so much with their characters. I found myself really enjoying Cotillard's performance as Contini's wife Luisa. While her role could be viewed as milquetoast, the standard jilted wife, every move she makes is honest and captivating. A scene in which Luisa realizes that a moment she believed to be special in her marriage is nothing more than a standard screen test is heartbreaking. In addition to the acting, the film is exquisitely shot. While I do not agree with Marshall's format, he does know how to craft a beautiful film.
Nine has a lot to live up to and slips up before it reaches the finish line. Marshall tries to shove the film into the same hole that Chicago fit so nicely. The format causes the film to feel scatterbrained. While it may falter in its format, the acting is exceptional. Every actor is catered perfectly to his role. In addition, the film is a feast for the eyes. Put together with the best of intentions, Nine is messy and falls short of its predecessors.