REVIEW: NINE

There are going to be a few things in this review that I never thought I would say. I will put them in bold so you know where I used to stand on these topics. Nine is a film based on the musical of the same name. Patterned on the classic Felini film 8 1/2, NINE is about a director that has hit a snag in his creative process. Everyone thinks they are about to start filming his next masterpiece, Italia, but in fact he hasn't even written the script yet. Daniel Day Lewis plays Guido Contini, a self-absorbed man who has too many women in his life: past and present. Much like director Rob Marshall's last musical, Chicago, NINE's musical numbers take place in a fantasy world created in the characters' minds as opposed to people just bursting out in song. Unlike Chicago, NINE is not quite as recognizable or, quite frankly, as good or memorable. Now, having said that, the performance are amazy!! Lewis takes a character that has absolutely nothing to like except for his charm and makes it work, although I think we are supposed to feel sorry for him at some points. I found it hard to sympathize with a character who disposes of women and their feelings with absolutely no thought. I can suspend disbelief on that point. Here's whats good. Penelope Cruz is flawless! (that was hard for me) Her portrayal of Guido's mistress, Carla, is sexy, funny, poignant and right on the money. Her singing voice and dancing are top notch and she walks away with every scene she is in. Marion Cotillard is mesmerizing on screen (no bold there. I knew that already) Her face is made for movies and her body is freakin' sick. Her last number is a strip tease that will floor you. Who knew?? Kate Hudson is a sex kitten and fantastic in this film. (holy smokes. I just had a seizure from that one) She plays Stephanie, a writer for American Vogue who is obsessed with Guido and wants to get to know him better, if you know what I mean. Her number, Cinema Italiano (which you get for free on iTunes if you order tickets online) is the stand out number of the movie for me. Fergie is a saucy delight (oh, gawd. somebody get me some water) as a gypsy figure, Saraghina, from the past who taught young Guido about the ways of love and women. Her number is also one of the highlights of the film. Judy Dench (or Big Booty Judy, as I like to call her) is excellent as always as Lilli, Guido's costume woman and confidant. She gets to strut her stuff in a number as well and tears it up. Also in the movie is Nicole Kidman, who apparently has no idea how to do an accent, because she is supposed to be an very famous Italian actress, but I expected her to throw another shrimp on the barbie at any moment. Sophia Loren plays Guido's mother, a dream that comes to him often during the film. She is 75 and looks about 150 in this movie. Seriously, Sophia, that wig was scaring the bejesus out of me. Marshall is a great director and knows how to shoot a musical number, I just think this show was not as good, material-wise, as Chicago. I still enjoyed it very much and recommend it to anyone who loves musicals, but there were a few snooze-worthy moments in there. Check it out for yourself, I could be wrong about some stuff. (okay. that one hurt for realz) Here's a video for Kate Hudson's song from the film featuring some scenes.