Nine: Hits A Sour Note

I’m a musical-lover. Did I love Chicago? Check. Hairspray? Check. Moulin Rouge? Check. 90s animated Disney movie? Oh, yeah! I really wanted to love Nine, not only because of its Oscar-worthy cast, but also because Rob Marshall (Chicago) helmed the project. Just putting those two things together should equal awesome!

At a wedding two weeks ago, a friend who had seen an advance screening sort of dampened my expectations when she told me she didn’t like it. Now, I trust her judgment, but I also know that I’ve repeatedly watched all the High School Musicals multiple times. How can I not, at least, enjoy the film? She explained that her issues included not getting to see enough singing and dancing, and when there was, it was awkward. The storyline was unevenly paced. She also acknowledged the greatness of Daniel Day-Lewis but that he wasn’t the best fit for the role. And on top of that, the songs just weren’t that great which is, obviously, a dagger to the heart for a musical. So, my mind was open, but unfortunately, my friend was 100% right.

Nine is based on a Broadway musical that was based on the 1963 Federico Fellini film 8 ½. Fellini’s film won the foreign language film Oscar and inspired countless film lovers to put down the Hollywood movies and check out European films. The Broadway show garnered five Tony Awards and numerous nominations. The late, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Cold Mountain) and Michael Tolkin (The Player) joined forces on adapting the script. With such a legacy, you’d think Marshall would have an easy time of it.

The plot centers on Guido Contini (Day-Lewis), an Italian film director with a huge creative block and more women than he knows what to do with. Marion Cotillard, the bring spotlight of the film, plays his wife Luisa. Penelope Cruz is his mistress Carla, and Nicole Kidman, wasted after proving her musical chops in Moulin Rouge, is his actress muse Claudia. Judi Dench plays his costume designer and friend. Kate Hudson is journalist Stephanie, Fergie plays Saraghina, a prostitute from his past, and his deceased Mamma is played by Sophia Loren.

With all that star power, it’s no surprise that the acting is good, but the story about a man struggling to create something out of nothing is slow and becomes depressing after awhile. Chicago was dark, funny, sarcastic, biting and had a pizazz that could be found in the writing, the musical numbers and in the actors’ portrayal of their characters. In Nine, pizazz can only be found in the song and dance numbers, which are lively but do not add any forward motion to the story and come off as more glossy than anything.

I thought Day-Lewis could do anything, but his turn in this film proved me wrong. I found out later that Antonio Banderas played Guido on Broadway, and I could see him imbuing the much needed charisma and lightness that Lewis missed. The women of the film each had a solo, while a few were graced with an extra number. Therefore, I missed that cohesive story told through song that is usually found if you pick up a musical soundtrack. And to add salt to the wound, the songs aren’t very catchy.

Nine has already been nominated for five Golden Globes among other awards, so I’m willing to give it a second viewing. It’s hard to dislike because it’s a stylish film visually, the females are glitzy and sexy, and Contini definitely comes off as a believably tortured soul, however I don’t believe Marshall pulled it all together into an provocative and enthralling story. Hopefully, he continues to make musicals for my song-loving sake and just fares better the next time.

For Additional Poptimal point of view check out Nine is Fine by Liz Cooper’s and Nine: A Musical of a Different Color by Matt DeGroot