Review of Nine (2009) by Jeff B — 13 Jul 2010

Nine is a film based on a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on the Federico Fellini film 8 ½ that was supposed to be called A Beautiful Confusion. And that's just what Nine the musical film ends up to be: a beautiful confusion. Strikingly gorgeous but tragically plodded, the story gets off on such bad footing that it fails to get its balance until halfway through. This awkward start proves to be such a downright shame because Nine makes absolutely lovely music from that point on. Ironically, just as the main character sorts his way through a crisis of conscience so does the film, a brilliant homage to Fellini that could have been one of the best modern film musicals. Period.

In Rob Marshall's PG-13-rated musical, a film director (Lewis) finds himself stuck in neutral while haunted by the demands of the many women in his life (Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren).

As Guido Contini, who retreats from a film production into fantasies and memories of the women in his life to escape his creative block, Day-Lewis marvelously gives musical-goers songs wrought out of pure emotion, not studio synthesized pop. The rest of the acclaimed cast also deserves accolades, but Cotillard garners special mention. Her standout solo comes midway, just as the moody musical hits its stride. Introducing all of the characters in a showy soundstage-set number from the get-go and then following it up with repetitious soundstage-set solos merely bogs down the momentum of a story that ironically begins with a quick getaway.

Bottom line: Far from a 10.