The new musical film, Nine, is for everyone, Italian or not.
Artwork by Daniel Mardirosian
When I saw the trailer to Rob Marshall’s (Chicago) new musical, Nine, I was anxious for its release, and when it finally hit theaters, after seeing it, I thought it was one of the best musicals ever made.
The cast of Nine consists of many Academy Award actresses who, in my opinion, all deserve to be nominated for another Oscar, as their musical performances were highlights of the movie. Surrounded by all these well-known women is Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will be Blood) who gives yet another memorable performance as famous Italian film director Guido Contini. Guido, although struggling to come up with a unique screenplay for his next film, is still a huge Italian celebrity, being surrounded by crowds of people. When being interviewed by reporters, we find out that Guido’s film is called Italia, but beyond that any further information is secretive. Daniel Day-Lewis was a great Guido, as he had a genuine Italian accent (I wouldn’t have guessed he was born in England), a wardrobe consisting of fedoras and Rey Bans sunglasses, and most importantly, musical talents. Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) was the original choice for Guido, but all the dancing movements (which consist of a lot of leaping and sliding) were too much for him. I’m glad Day-Lewis was chosen because after Bardem’s performance in No Country for Old Men, I cannot picture him as a “signing and dancing” type of guy.
Throughout Nine, Guido has many visions, all of which consist of musical numbers performed by the seven important women in his life: His wife, his mistress, his mother, his starlet, his fashion designer, a Vogue reporter, and the harlot who taught him about women when he was a young child. As much as I loved this concept of memorable musical numbers whenever Guido had a vision, most of them lacked in color, which, if they used more of it, might have made the costumes and scenery, stand out more.
Out of seven women, Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies) had the most important role as Guido’s wife, Luisa. In one of Cotillard’s two musical performances, My Husband Makes Movies, if listened to closely, the audience will know more about Guido and Luisa’s relationship. Cotillard is not only a talented actress but a natural-born signer as well, as evidenced by her performance in La Vie En Rose, which won her an Oscar.
Although he tries to be faithful to his wife, it is often difficult for Guido, as he simply loves women. Unlike some other womanizers though, Guido truly loves his wife and does not want to ruin their relationship. However, unable to help himself, Guido invites his mistress, Carla (Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces), over to his hotel. While Cruz delivered an excellent singing performance that was very erotic (the guys will love it), I noticed she seems to take on this same type of femme fatale role in most of her movies.
Two of the most memorable musical performances were by Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson (signer for the Black Eyed Peas), and Kate Hudson (Bride Wars). Both songs, Fergie’s Be Italian (which is featured in the trailer), and Hudson’s Cinema Italiano had not only feral choreography, but wild lyrics as well. Both Fergie, and Hudson seemed to be full of energy, as Hudson’s reporter character had swift movements when she danced on the stage and Fergie, giving her erotic performance, seemed to have some robotic movements that completed her harlot character.
Actresses Judi Dench (Quantum of Solace) and Sophia Loren (Grumpier Old Men) were able to prove age is not a factor when it comes to singing and dancing, as they performed as wildly as the others. I was surprised Dench was able to not only give a memorable performance, but look like the fashion designer she was, as well.
While Nicole Kidman’s (Australia) performance as Guido’s starlet was also as memorable as the others, I was disappointed by her lack of screen time, as her character did not even enter until towards the end. While all seven women gave phenomenal musical performances, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of a big finale, as there was no performance that featured everyone singing and dancing. Another disappointment is the fact that 15 additional songs did not make Nine’s final cut which, if they did, might have given the film an even better soundtrack.
In a year when the number “9” seemed to appear in many movie titles (9, District 9, etc.), it somehow found its way again, this time in a musical. While the story lead me to believe there are nine women, after counting them all, there are only seven (unless you count these other two women who are barely even seen and mentioned). The title, Nine, actually comes from Federico Fellini’s similar (and supposedly, superior) film, 8 ½, which is his ninth film. However, I found Nine to be a wild and fun musical that has amazing musical performances by talented actors/actresses. By the end, you will want to be Italian too.
Rating: ★★★★★
