NINE - "Take It All"- Page 2

Posted: 11/16/09 at 11:09pm

Not to be too pedantic but "Marshall cut a huge amount of songs from CHICAGO and I think that's one of the best movie musical adaptations, I trust his talent and I'm sure he'll give us a great movie musical with NINE."

Sure, I do too, but to say he cut a "huge amount" of songs from Chicago is overstating things I think.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/16/09 at 11:17pm

He cut "When Velma Takes the Stand," "A Little Bit of Good," "Class," "My Own Best Friend," "Me and My Baby," and "I Know a Girl." I think six songs from a musical that is not sung-through like say DREAMGIRLS, is quite a significant amount.
I'd say in terms of percentage, he basically cut a little less than 40% of the songs.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/16/09 at 11:22pm

"10 Percent" and "My Own Best Friend" lasted for a VERY long time in the script, "MOBF" was almost filmed. That's the only song I really miss and I love Condon's concept for the number (2 separate cells in prison then Roxie's fantasy of them dancing with a cell bar wall in between them and/or dancing with cellbar sections ala the original though never acknowledging each other).

P

Posted: 11/16/09 at 11:27pm

The cellbar section dance woulda been a hommage to the original Cell Block Tango right--or was My Own Best Friend done that way too?

I had no idea 10Percent was almost back in the movie?

Still I think to say cutting the music he did was nearly 40% of the music is... well wrong. maybe 20-25% to be generous.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/17/09 at 12:56am

Eric, not to keep this going since it's pretty pointless but if you actually do the math it comes to about 35%

Posted: 11/17/09 at 12:57am

LOL I'll give you 30% and not a percentage more

Posted: 11/17/09 at 2:32am

"I definitely think Yeston in that recent profile makes a clear and valid reasoning in why BE ON YOUR OWN isn't the right piece of music for that place in the film, its not that the song itself isn't cinematic (though it isn't) it has more to do with 4 songs in a row at the end of the musical that are ballads - so I welcome a new take"

I don't get what he says though--Be On Your Own isn't really a slow ballad *at all* and in fact Take It All sounds more like a ballad to me lol.

[binau]

Posted: 11/17/09 at 2:55am

"Eric, not to keep this going since it's pretty pointless but if you actually do the math it comes to about 35%
"

Well the cut songs are about 23% of the total running time of the revival recording. (This assumes Marshall didn't cut down the length of the film versions, which he may/probably has tp be relevant. I can't remember).

I guess it's just, at least especially in comparison to what Nine is going to be, Chicago felt very complete.

Updated On: 11/17/09 at 02:55 AM

Posted: 11/17/09 at 4:23am

Exactly. The Chicago cut material too was largely what would be called minor songs IMHO (some of them not recorded for the OBCR for instance)--that isn't true here.

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 7:58am

Being a huge fan of the original work, I would say that I actually prefer "Take It All".

[BWF]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 11:12am

I can't fathom out why I had such low expectations for this film, but I must confess to really liking all the pieces I am hearing.

My high hopes for the La La Song, are now stratospheric...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 11:42am

"Think "The Thou Shalt Not Ballet" from THOU SHALT NOT aka gangbang."

Just for future reference, if you want people to like something and be excited about it, you should NEVER compare it to THOU SHALT NOT, one of the single worst pieces of garbage ever produced for the stage.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 12:33pm

"Be On Your Own" is one of my all-time favorite songs. So far, this movie has really turned me off. Call me a purist.

[bk]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 12:45pm

I saw the film yesterday at the DGA here in LA. Rob was there to do a Q&A. :)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 12:59pm

BK, any particular comments on the film? Did Marshall say anything worth noting? I'm quite disappointed he picked a fourth installment of the bore franchise PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN instead of picking a more interesting project (FOLLIES is calling his name, and I thought he had expressed interest in it before. A KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN film or the rumored re-make of CABARET--sans the proposed Renee Zellweger as Sally Bowles--would have been neat projects as well). Still, it makes sense he picked a big budget Hollywood movie and if anything, we know it'll be visually stunning.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 1:06pm

He needs to stay away from FOLLIES. He would cut nearly every "book song." We would lose songs like 'Don't Look at Me', 'The Road You Didn't Take', 'In Buddy's Eyes', 'Too Many Mornings', and 'Could I Leave You?'

But I'm sure he would do very interesting things with SPIDER WOMAN and CABARET.
Updated On: 11/23/09 at 01:06 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 1:21pm

I doubt anyone would be able to cut the book songs from FOLLIES entirely, but perhaps this is why Marshall picked NINE over FOLLIES (assuming FOLLIES was even a choice or that he was even interested). Maybe Marshall only wants to work with concept musicals that are able to give him the chance to find a creative way to present the musical numbers. I think KISS would be brilliant in his hands, and obviously he has a connection with the original Broadway production. He already directed CABARET for the stage, so one can only imagine what a great movie of the stage show he'd make (Fosse's CABARET is my favorite movie but it'd be nice to have a film that is somewhat closer to the stage musical).

Updated On: 11/23/09 at 01:21 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 1:22pm

He should stay away from a film of FOLLIES because he basically already does it with NINE.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 1:31pm

For those who have seen it, where does "Husband" fall in the movie...on the soundtrack it is after "Be Italian" and "Follies"....Also does it exist in its full entirety...Only because it is my favorite song from the show...

[Demitri2]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 1:44pm

How many musicals have we seen in the last couple of decades? How many have been watchable? THE PRODUCERS and RENT were very true to their stage counterparts and they were terrible. They both tanked big time at the box office.

I saw and loved the original NINE. Thought less of the revival. NINE is not an easy stage musical to transfer to film. The story is very cerebral and to add an abstract story line to the main performers singing the total original score to the camera doesn't sound too promising.

At first I was upset with Marshall's style of cutting away from the singers in an MTV style as he did in CHICAGO but after seeing RENT and THE PRODUCERS I've changed my mind. Most important is that to appeal to a huge audience out there who normally don't attend musicals, I feel it's the only way to go today.

When in the mood I like hearing the score of the stage version of FUNNY GIRL and other times I enjoy listening to the new songs and changes made in the film version. It's great having a choice. I've always loved Yeston's music and am delighted I'll be hearing new songs in the movie especially if they work better in the film version. When I want to hear the original stage score I have the Broadway, Broadway revival, the London concert version and the original Australian cast recordings to listen to. I welcome a new take on the score.

Plus why are people taking a stand on which number works better when only a few have actually seen the film in limited previews so far? Why not wait and pass your judgement after viewing the film?

[bk]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 2:33pm

Unfortunately, our screening began late because the DGA had rented out the theater for a SAG screening of Inglorious Basterds just before us - and Brad Pitt and the cast were there doing a Q&A and it was a madhouse, pure bedlam. So, I had to bolt right after the movie as I had a dinner to go to. I had a friend who stayed, though, and she said Rob was charming and fun - and knowing him as I do, that is, I'm sure, quite correct.

I cannot comment about whether the film works better than the stage play because I've never seen the stage play and have only heard the various cast albums - frankly, I don't even know the score as well as I should. It seemed like My Husband Makes Movies is complete, but I just don't know it well enough to say. I went into the screening hoping to love it - I didn't. I certainly liked aspects of it, though. But that's just me. I don't like the insanely quick cutting in the musical numbers (despite being told here that the clips aren't necessarily indicative of the way the numbers are in the film, they are, in fact, very indicative), and after a while they all start to feel relentlessly the same - Rob is really talented and I just wish he'd trust the material more, but then again, his producers may be precluding that. Be Italian starts as the Fellini film does and I thought - GREAT - at last a number not filmed on the soundstage of Guido's imagination. A number from his memory, yes, but not like all the others. But in twenty seconds we're back on the soundstage with a full chorus of gals in garters basically doing Mein Herr. We've seen that, we've seen the concert-style lighting, and all that jazz. But I also have to say that the Fellini film is one of my all-time favorites - I find it intensely beautiful, mysterious, and very touching and that probably colors my feelings to a certain extent.

I liked most of the cast very much, and the last shot of the film is really lovely and I wish there were more like it. Whether this will appeal to mass audiences I don't know - it will be interesting to see. I hope for Mr. Marshall and the producers that it does. I'll probably see it again. I wish that the people who make musicals today weren't so afraid of just letting characters sing - they did in Sweeney Todd and the audience accepted it because it was set-up and well done. I'm just a little over everything having to be in a character's imagination or head to be a musical number. They think the audiences won't sit still for anything else, but they will if it's set-up and done well.

And those are a few of my thoughts for whatever they're worth. And if I had to be pinned down, because maybe it will give my thoughts some context, I liked this better than Chicago and I liked it better than Sweeney Todd because the singers are a lot more musical here.
Updated On: 11/23/09 at 02:33 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 2:49pm

I know people have been complaining about the fast cut MTV style editing of musical numbers in movies since MOULIN ROGUE.

For what its worth, I don't believe this is a practice exclusive to movie musicals. Almost all movies today feature that kind of editing - you can take from that what you will, but I will say that I think the one recent film musical I can think of that filmed the dance sequences in the style of the old school musicals of the 40s and 50s was THE PRODUCERS. Of course everyone complained about how 'stage bound' that was....

I think you can certainly argue that Marshall could have approached a movie of NINE in which the musical numbers were naturalistic, but setting the film as it is - as fantasy sequences - I think, Bruce, for example it would have been a mistake to suddenly have BE ITALIAN be done as a straight flash back memory song.

I think once you create a concept you have to carry it through the entire movie (one of the reasons DREAMGIRLS started to become awkward half way through once it changed gears from all stage performances to singing within context of scenes).

I personally think that NINE works very well in this fantasy context because the entire project is about a director searching for inspiration for his movie. The musical numbers are his envisioning his life AS the movie he is thinking of making.

Fellini actually does something similar in the original 8 1/2, so while I understand the desire to see more movie musicals made that trust the basic concepit of singing in a musical, I think this movie is totally justified in its choices.

My husband makes movies - for the poster who asks is later in the musical than in the stage production, and yes it exists in its entirety.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 3:02pm

Thank you very much for answering my questions, it is really after Be Italian....That stinks and is weird

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 3:10pm

I don't so much mind about the cuts to the score or the fantasy concept (though I'd like to see more traditional musicals made), but are pretty much all of the songs interrupted with dialogue? I find that a bit irritating, but if the film is that well done, maybe it won't bother me too much.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 3:19pm

E. Davis, that seems a very odd comment since you haven't seen the film. But in the context, it doesn't feel odd or out of place. It still happens the first time we see Luisa and Guido together - but the character appears later than in the stage musical.