Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
#1Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 1:26am
OMG, I just came back from seeing Nine. It was blah. I dislike the score to begin with, but the actresses were horrible. Most of them. Daniel Day Lewis can't sing and so can't Judi Dench, but their acting was the only good thing of the movie.
I didn't hate it, but it was bad.
#2re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 1:27am
I thought Day-Lewis and Dench (who has a number of West End musical credits to her name) were much better singers than Nicole Kidman, whose rendition of Unusual Way was a true embarrassment.
Updated On: 12/29/09 at 01:27 AM
#2re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 1:30amThe more I hear about this film the less I want to see it and it bombed at the box office last weekend. Very few people are impressed. I love the Banderas cast recording. One of my faves.
#3re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 1:31am
I agree with you, haha.
I think all the musical numbers were terrible, the singing was just awful, funny enough they cast a "singer" and her song also was terrible(talking about Fergie, who looked, acted and sounded awful, as usual)
#4re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 1:33amBetty, I hate the CD with Banderas and Masterantonio. So you might like it. Michelle Mais would be emabarrassed of the singing though. Haha. She can sing better than the entire cast of Nine together.
#5re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 2:32amMuscle, I think you have a poor way of differentiating a bad performance from a good one. The actors from NINE do an incredibly job at relating the score to a cinematic audience. They do an incredible job at representing and emoting their feelings through song. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors alive, no he's not going to do Broadway any time soon, but his voice works wonders for Guido, especially for this movie. And like someone said in another thread, Dame Judi Dench could stand there and belch and she'd still be twice more brilliant than any of the silver voiced girls calling themselves Broadway actresses nowadays. It's a shame you couldn't appreciate the enormous artistic value of their voices and performances.
#6re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 2:52am
"Most of them. Daniel Day Lewis can't sing and so can't Judi Dench"
Mmm, I don't know where they get off casting that film actress Dench in musicals - especially as Desiree ALNM - she won an olivier but she couldn't even sustain notes in "Send in the clowns"! They should have exhumed Ethel Merman and cast her for raw vocal talent!!
#7re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 3:03am
Ray, I said that Daniel and Judi were the only good thing about the movie. Not their singing, but their acting was good.
So read again sir!
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#8re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 9:27am
Yeah, because once you appear on the West End or Broadway you are automatically a good singer.
Updated On: 12/29/09 at 09:27 AM
#9re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:07am
I have to agree with muscle. Sweeney and Nine and so many others are just ruined b/c the actors destroy the score.
I would rather they not make the movie than make it with name actors who can't sing just to appeal to a larger audience.
And with Sweeney and Nine, it didn't/doesn't seem to be working anyway (notable exception is Mamma Mia - but that had already familiar music).
#10re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:23am
Nine definitely had its problems but Day-Lewis' and Dench's singing was not one of them. Both held their own, and did it remarkably well. The only person I had problems with as far as singing was Nicole Kidman. I would never want to see Daniel Day-Lewis on Broadway in the role, but I think his vocal performance worked for the film.
If the score to Nine was ruined, it was because Rob Marshall jettisoned two thirds of it.
#11re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:28amCount me in with those who didn't like the singing. None of them sounded good to me except for Fergie. I don't think Kate Hudson can sing at all, either.
#12re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:34am
Muscle, Fergie was one of the only GOOD things about the film. She and Marion are the only reasons this film should be seen.
Betty, I hate the CD with Banderas and Masterantonio. So you might like it.
Interesting... since you've clearly never listened to it enough to know that Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio wasn't in Nine... in fact she was in Man of La Mancha the same season at the exact same time! Which part did you think she played..?
#13re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:41amI am assuming you meant Mary Stuart Masterson... but they in fact are NOT the same person.
#14re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:49am
The singing is fine in this movie. Not the best ever heard, but certainly not bad. I don't know what any of you are talking about.
If you want to hear bad singing in movies, try Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls. He sings sharp on every note.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#15re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 10:55am
bj, thanks, I meant Masterson, not Masterantonio. I know the difference, but I got confused.
I think Daniel and Judi can't sing, but at least they can act. If they would have cast good singers for the other roles it could have worked. But those two, plus all the other awful voices, was just plain awful!
#16re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:37am
I don't think they sound bad at all.
Daniel Day-Lewis's voice was just about on par with Raul Julia and Jonathan Pryce. But that's only going on the two songs he sang, I'm sure if "The Bells of St. Sebastian" were included in the film things would be different.
Also...after listening to "Cabaret" and "A Little Night Music" one should know that singing isn't Judi Dench's absolute forte. Still "Follies Bergeres" is more of a 'character voice' song anyways. And vocally, Liliane Montevecchi and Chita Rivera (though MUCH better vocally than Montevecchi) did NOT set the bar high!
And if you thought that Fergie was horrible, then something is definately up!
#17re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:05pm
"The singing is fine in this movie. Not the best ever heard, but certainly not bad. I don't know what any of you are talking about. "
Here's what I'm talking about. If you're making a huge high budget MUSICAL film, then I believe you should have great singers, and not "just fine, or "not bad" singing. The object here, as usual, is the bottom line - money. Put big names in there whether or not they can sing and/or dance.
Just my take on it.
Chrysanthemum62001
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/04
#18re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:16pmInteresting. I really thought Daniel Day Lewis did a fantastic job on the vocals. Actually, I enjoyed his singing much more than Antonio Banderas.
#19re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:27pm
I thought the movie had the lion's share of problems, but I did not think the vocals were one of them. In fact, the most redeemable part of the movie for me IS the soundtrack. As I've said, I think Fergie's "Be Italian" is definitive, and Marion Cotillard, whose vocals are clearly not as strong as Masterson's, is still clearly able to sing, and uses her voice strengths to her advantage.
Daniel Day-Lewis barely even sings in the movie, and when he does it's hardly offensive. And I thought Dench's vocals were surprisingly good, for her.
#20re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:42pm
"Daniel Day-Lewis barely even sings in the movie, and when he does it's hardly offensive."
Well, that's my point. If the best we can say about the vocals are "it's hardly offensive" or "not bad," then the wrong people are singing.
#21re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:51pmWell, of COURSE money plays a part in this. It's always played a part in this. Very rarely are average moviegoers going to gamble their $7.50-$12.50 on a film starring someone they don't know. Musicals are hard sells nowadays anyway.
MrMidwest
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/8/05
#22re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:53pm
It's just not realistic to expect studios to cast Broadway caliber singers in movie musicals, Jane. Studios want to make money.
I agree with Kad. The vocals are not one of the major flaws in this film. Sweeney Todd had weaker singers and it got better reviews than Nine.
#23re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:54pm
That's right, kad. As I said, as usual, it's about money.
And that's why the most talented and suitable people for roles don't get them. And the production suffers.
#24re: Some Movie Stars Should Never Attempt To Sing
Posted: 12/29/09 at 12:57pm
"Sweeney Todd had weaker singers and it got better reviews than Nine. "
Ya think?
Could it be that Sweeny Todd was better than Nine?
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