Susan Granger’s review of “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
After helming “Chicago” to Oscar glory, director Rob Marshall tackles “Nine,” inspired by Federico Fellini’s self-reflective, surreal 1963 art-film “8 ½” which, in turn, spawned the 1982 Tony-winning Broadway musical with a book by Arthur Kopit. But it’s much more of a challenge. Unlike “Chicago,” which has an easily definable plot and characters, along with a memorable, melodic score, “Nine” revolves around a brilliant but totally egocentric film director who is going through a mid-life crisis and searching for existential salvation among the various women who have been pivotal in his life.
It’s 1965, Rome, as Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) flees from Cinecitta Studios just before beginning production on his highly-anticipated new film, “Italia.”
“Film is a dream,” angst-ridden Guido asserts. “When you talk about it, you kill it, which is why I’m a very secretive man.”
Guido’s problem is basic: with no script, no ideas, he has total writer’s block. Taking refuge at a seaside spa in Anzio, he’s joined by his lusty, neurotic mistress, Carla (Penelope Cruz), followed by his loyal, long-suffering wife, Luisa (Marion Cotillard). Plus there’s his costume designer/confidante, Lilli (Judi Dench); his leading lady/muse, Claudia (Nicole Kidman); and a flirtatious American fashion journalist, Stephanie (Kate Hudson). His doting Mamma (Sophia Loren) and childhood sexual fantasy, Saraghina (Stacy Ferguson, a.k.a. Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas), also emerge in haunting glimpses from his memory bank.
Along with Guido’s heartfelt laments, each enticing woman belts a signature song. They’re extravagantly staged and sensational, particularly Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard. But dancers they’re not – and it shows. In addition, Maury Yeston’s lyrics often seem somewhat discordant with the emotions each character is supposed to be expressing in the adapted script by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella.
Emerging as awkwardly fragmented – juxtaposing black-and-white scenes with color – and absurdly melodramatic, “Nine” seems stage-bound, lacking dramatic/emotional continuity. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Nine” is a dazzling yet uneven 8 ½., as the sumptuous whole adds up to less than a sum of its parts.
