NINE - The Movie Musical - Review Thread- Page 6

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/24/09 at 11:42am

Just a heads-up to the NINE fans that my BWW article on the previous major recordings and review of the NINE soundtrack will be up on BWW very shortly! Enjoy!



P

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/24/09 at 11:24pm

Just got home from seeing the film. WOW. I couldn't believe what I saw on that screen. I never thought I'd see anything worse than MAMMA MIA but thanks to that hack, Rob Marshall, I did!

What a complete and utter waste of celluloid. The man (as stated above) has absolutely no faith in the musical genre and also no respect for it. He turned one of the best musicals ever made into one of the worst films of the year and certainly of the genre. I knew going in that this was NINE light, with only 6 or 7 actual songs from the musical remaining. I barely know where to start with why the film bothered me so much. A few standouts, though:

In the first hallucination (which is really what Marshall's musical numbers are) - Why does Guido see Kate Hudson with all the other women? She doesn't even become anyone "to him" until later in the film.

Did it bother anyone else that we first see Nicole Kidman maybe 20 minutes before the film ends and with knowing absolutely nothing about her she sings "Unusual Way"? Why should I care about this woman or feel for her? Who the hell is she??

To those who say that "Take It All" is a worthy replacement to "Be On Your Own", I want to ask if you've seen this show before. How in the name of all that is good is this strip tease a good replacement for a song where a woman bares her soul and does one of the hardest things she's ever done - Leaves her husband. I'm watching this number and just started laughing. The word ridiculous doesn't even begin to cover it.

Thank GOD I have my video of the actual show. THAT is NINE. This was something that should be immediately forgotten. I used to say the four scariest words in hollywood were "From Producer Jerry Bruckheimer". Now they are "From Director Rob Marshall".

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/24/09 at 11:57pm

I saw the film tonight and the best I can say about it is that it's mild entertainment.

The art direction was excellent though.

Standouts - Fergie and Penelope Cruz.

I wish they had gotten better singers than Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson.

Federico might be rolling in his grave!

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:33am

"He turned one of the best musicals ever made into one of the worst films of the year and certainly of the genre."

exaggerate much?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 1:50am

Well, considering that to me it's one of the best musicals ever made and (to me) it's one of the worst films of the year and of the genre, I'm gonna go ahead and say no. I'm not exaggerating much. Because, afterall, it's MY opinion.

[binau]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 2:05am

It is so disappointing how poorly Nine has been received. I remember first reading the cast list on IMDB, and being happy for the composer of 'Titanic' that such a high profile director with a very strong cast would adapt one of his musicals.

Still, I know almost nothing about Nine the musical or 8.1/2, so I hope that I can still enjoy the movie when it is released in Australia (one month).

Will NINE be a box office bomb, and become a modern "Chorus Line"?

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 11:50am

I think if I hadn't followed the progress of this movie, I would be spitting mad right now, but because I was prepared and because of all I'd heard about it being a recycled Chicago of sorts, I went in with pretty low expectations and was pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did.

Yes, I thoroughly agree that Rob Marshall needs a reeducation in the movie musical genre: he needs to trust that the audience will accept characters breaking out into song in real time rather than in their heads, just like they do with live musical theatre and Disney movies. If he's so married to that concept, I don't understand why he cut the Grand Canal sequence, which would have helped the plot along a great deal and made a fantastic production number. And I don't see why Simple needed to be cut either.

I also agree that the plot was a bit choppy and that you missed a lot of character development. I absolutely loved Kate Hudson and her Cinema Italiano number, but I felt that her character was superfluous. I felt they built up Claudia enough that her brief moment with Guido made sense, but it wasn't nearly as good as the scene between the two of them that opens the second act of the musical. As for Take It All, it's not nearly as effective as Be On Your Own, but it makes a better production number, which is why it's there. If it wasn't in the capable hands of Marion Cotillard, it would have been a disaster.

I thought that it was aesthetically stunning. I also loved that they brought in bits of the original 8 1/2, such as the screen tests and the scene with Guido and Carla role playing. As everyone's been saying, Be Italian is the show stopper, and I had chills throughout the number. I loved the opening and the finale, too!

My favorite performances came from Daniel Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard, and Fergie, although I felt everyone did very well with what they were given. Day Lewis was charming one moment, with a childish glint in his eye, and then tortured the next, and he handled his songs well. He had wonderful chemistry with all the women, and I was really curious to know what went on in those flashes where we couldn't hear what they were saying!

Fergie was just like Edra Gale in the original film in that she was savage and animalistic and thoroughly sexy. She didn't speak a word, but her song and her body language said more than enough. I hope she gets a lot of positive attention for her work.

But the stand out for me was Marion Cotillard. Luisa is my favorite character, and Cotillard made me love her even more. Her rendition of My Husband Makes Movies was beautiful and vulnerable, while Take It All was so raw, and the love and resignation that permeated her book scenes was heartbreaking.

Like wickedfan, I wonder how this film will hold up over time. I have a feeling that people are going to forget about it once the luster and the buzz has worn off. The story is not as "fun" and doesn't scream musical theatre like Chicago. I wouldn't classify this as the Nine that people should remember for all posterity, but it could have been a lot worse, and I'm looking forward to owning it on DVD.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:01pm

Well, the original "story" doesn't have much plot to begin with, but whatever there was in this film was so chopped up that you didn't recognize it.

Fellini's story was not plot-based either, but the surrealism, art direction, casting (including extras), direction, and music made 8 1/2 and all of Fellini's other films the best that have ever been made. Yep, my opinion!

[James885]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:17pm

Will NINE be a box office bomb

Well boxoffice.com is predicting Nine to finish in the number 8 spot this weekend with about 9 million. That seems about right when you factor in the negative reviews, the tough competition at the movies this weekend, and the fact that it's only playing in 1400 theaters.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:25pm

Fellini's story was not plot-based either, but the surrealism, art direction, casting (including extras), direction, and music made 8 1/2 and all of Fellini's other films the best that have ever been made. Yep, my opinion!

Agreed.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:33pm

[Marlothom]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:52pm

Just saw this yesterday - disappointing. I won't repeat a lot of what has already been said, but a few thoughts.

1. While I loved "My Husbands Makes Movies", it didn't quite make sense that this was happening in Guido's head (where all the #'s take place). This is very much in Luisa's head. Guido does not know how his wife feels.

2. I think the average moviegoer may take issue with the fact that the songs are just not as "catchy" as in Chicago. When I saw the musical (revival), I think the songs made sense and played better because of the scene that had came before it. Thus in this movie, you get a very choppy plot, followed by a "random" sounding song. Also, adding popular music from the time did not help. At my screening, the audience responded better to those songs that the actual musical numbers.

3. Be Italian, well sung, but - why does every "sexy" number need chairs! Also, tambourine much?

4. I may be off here, as I only saw the musical once, but doesn't Guido start filming "Casanova", thus "I Can't Make This Movie" is about his inability to complete that film, in part because of his emotional breakdown? Here, the whole plot is that he does not have a script, thus when the song "I Can't Make This Movie" starts, the only logical response from the audience is, "No Sh_t! Sherlock, you still don't have a script"

5. I don't quite see the benefit of making the Judy Dench character a costume designer and not the producer. Why are costumes being constructed for a film without a script?

6. The number "Take It All" is not a suitable replacement for "Be On Your Own" - at this point in the film, Luisa has told him she is leaving him, so . . . he has to be on his own; in fact she is leaving so that he doesn't take anything more from her. This should be a song of anger, not submission. The fact that she comes back to the studio at the end of the film, also makes her character's big scene, POINTLESS.

7. If Guido's vision of his mother is a glamorous-botoxed woman, there should be something that explains this.

8. I think Simple may have been cut in order to only have Marion's character have two songs, thus make a stronger argument for leading v. supporting actress. What a waste.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 1:54pm

3. Be Italian, well sung, but - why does every "sexy" number need chairs! Also, tambourine much?

That might have been an homage to the original number, which had a tambourine dance.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 1:57pm

^ Yeah, I think that was pretty clear.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 1:58pm

Oh that makes sense then. I preferred the homage to the revival, of Guido walking across the couch.

Updated On: 12/25/09 at 01:58 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 2:29pm

Marlothom, you make very good points, some of which I shook my head at last night while seeing it but forgot about.

It seems that not only Marshall, but everyone involved really just didn't get the story or the characters at all and decided that if people were going to suspend belief enough to watch a musical in the first place, they'll suspend belief and not worry about motivation, character development or plot.

[bk]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 3:06pm

"That might have been an homage to the original number, which had a tambourine dance."

And the rest was an homage to Mein Herr. Once I'd like to see something that's, oh, I don't know, not an homage to anything, but original :)

[Brick]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 3:12pm

Fellini's film doesn't have plot, much character development, or motivation. But the musical does.

I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds as if the mistake was to take the content of the musical and put it into the movie's form. And it sounds as if the songs, taken out of the context Kopit gave them, don't connect with the situations of the characters.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 3:34pm

"Fellini's film doesn't have plot, much character development, or motivation. But the musical does. "

Would you give me a description of the plot, since I didn't see the show.

Updated On: 12/25/09 at 03:34 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 4:36pm

I saw it again today, and pretty much solidified my original opinion that it's decent with some great moments.

However, this time, I must say that I was getting increasingly bored by the book scenes and found myself consulting the soundtrack listing in my mind.

And "Guarda la Luna" is just thoroughly boring and seems so shoehorned in.

Marion Cotillard still dazzles and Penelope Cruz still makes the screen steam in "Call..".

"Be Italian" and "My Husband Makes Movies" are easily the high points of the film. Fergie needs to release an album of legit stuff.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 4:49pm

Brick, given the content of so many of these posts, your impression would seem correct, but it doesn't match my experience with the film. There never was much plot to this show (and the criticism of certain numbers' "pointlessness" because they don't advance the plot seems small-minded to me)and the numbers - except for the new ones - have not, to me, been largely recontextualized. I feel what's going on is that many film critics, with no history of the stage show, are unimpressed with the original score and many theater fans, beholden to their sense of the original, are disoriented and disappointed. The film of Nine owes much more to the film 8 1/2 than the stage show and this shift has left many in both camps unimpressed. I enjoyed it. The craft and glamour bewitched me.

[Brick]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 5:26pm

The musical is about a film director who goes to a spa with his wife to help him with his writers block. The press follows him to the spa, along with his mistress, and his producer, and he sends for his favorite actress, his muse. He even remembers influential moments in his life, as a battles to summon up creativity. His muse gives him the idea to make a film about Casanova. He bases the film on his personal life, which truly upsets his wife. The filming falls apart, his mistress leaves him, his muse returns home, and his wife walks out on him. He has a complete breakdown, says he can't make the movie, almost commits suicide, but then doesn't.

8 1/2 has very, very little plot. It's really only a concept or set-up of a story, which the Nine film seems to be, as well.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 5:28pm

This was my first true experience with "Nine." And the only emotion I could muster throughout and following the film was "meh." I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I just didn't particularly care about anyone or anything that happened at any point during the film.

[Brick]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 5:30pm

And it seems to me, at this time without having seen the film yet, the Casanova sequence was crucial to the piece.

It shows Guido attempting something. And many reviews have complained writers block is simply not an interesting enough subject, at least as its handled by Marshall. The musical shows Guido trying to connect to all these women and what the film he tries to make does to them.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 6:10pm

I will say this - The orchestrations are gorgeous. I keep listening to a few songs on the soundtrack just for them.