Review of Nine (2009) by Eric O — 17 Jul 2010

With vibrant visuals and some memorable performances, "Nine" moves along unevenly from one stylized musical number to another but is ultimately elevated by its acting. The film unfortunately lacks any real connective thread, which is what makes a narrative flow and come together as a fully interwoven story.

The problem in "Nine" is that Rob Marshall frames all the musical numbers as a creation of Guido Contini's imagination. This is what Marshall did exactly in "Chicago," and it worked ten times better there and resulted in much more success.

It has to do with that fact that Roxie really imagined her life to be on stage. So, the device made sense. Guido is a director who does see things with an artistic eye, but the staging of the numbers doesn't quite add up.

All the musical numbers have the typical Rob Marshall flair, but they don't meld into the reality of the story as well as it did in "Chicago." Where "Nine" really succeeds is with the performances by its capable actresses.

Marion Cotillard plays Guido's wife, and she brings such vulnerability and passion to the character. Her song performances really stand out. On the other side of Guido's love life is his lover Carla, played brilliantly by Penelope Cruz.

She brings such a sexy, comedic, and heartbreaking quality to this woman. Plus, her musical contribution is the most electrifying number in the film. The only other showstopper comes from Fergie, who bites into her role as an Italian prostitute from Guido's past.

Those black and white scenes really bring a great gritty quality to film, and it's a shame that the rest of the film is so distant from these moments. It's hard to judge "Nine" as a whole because it's so segmented that it is easier to critique each of its parts.

"Nine" is a true feast for the eyes and it can't be denied that it has some great music. It's too far detached from Fellini's "8 1/2" to be compared with it, and should be viewed as an adaptation of the musical.

In the end, "Nine" doesn't succeed as a fully realized film but provides some great moments.