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Nine Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Stacy Ferguson and Nicole Kidman Director: Rob Marshall Scriptwriters: Michael Tolkin and the late Anthony Manghella Composer: Andrea Guerra Cinematography: Dion Beebe The Weinstein Company Rating: PG 13 for sexuality Running Length: 2 hours Here is a film that comes from a Broadway musical that comes from a play about the life of the Italian film director Federico Fellini and his film 8 ½. Marcello Mastroianni, where are you when we need you. In the current production, Daniel Day-Lewis, who notoriously inhabits his roles, plays an Italian film director, Guido Contini, who is reaching 50 years old, and having a writer’s block. Don’t we all. “Nine” is by director Rob Marshall, who did Chicago, so knows his way around a stage. The women in Guido’s life, those who acted as muse, lover, friend, mother and confident are awesome and include Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, Stacy Ferguson and just about any other female who could smile at the camera. Guido got around. The basic story, supplemented by dance routines, concerns Guido Contini’s latest film. He has hit a writer’s block. The last three films were flops (which everyone is fond of reminding him) and in his own abstract way, tries to find a fetching female to act as his muse. Guido’s wife, Marion Cotillard, once his muse and now a partner, sits on the sidelines and observes his ways. He says one thing but does another. As Guido sees something familiar, the woman who inspired him at that moment, has a dance routine, and this is what makes the story. It’s a study of women, all of whom fell for Guido. Fergie was a prostitute, Penelope Cruz is having an affair with Guido but still loves her husband, Sophia Loren was Guido’s mother and Judi Dench befriended him as a child and is a trusted confident’. Kate Hudson is the latest fling, leaving Penelope in the dust. The songs are not earth-shattering. I have a bone to pick with the choreography with this movie. There is little or no footwork. The actresses have mounds of hair, toss it abundantly, do aerobic exercises to music, and this is to be dancing. The scenes conveying emotion and conflict work, and these are between Guido and Marion and Guido and Judi. Nicole Kidman, a past muse, is in the film for the blink of an eye, Sophia is a gorgeous mother, Judi Dench does a cabaret number that is stunning (no fancy dancing there), Fergie throws sand at the camera for her number, all Penelope lacked was a pole for dancing and Hudson wears white and shakes a lot. I was disappointed. Daniel Day-Lewis does his part well. His singing is very good and he conveys a man who needs a woman to help him think and now has trouble finding the right woman. Women are disposable to him---in the nicest possible way---and such men invariably go through life littering their pathway with broken hearts. Because he is a film director, he is considered special in society, even by the catholic church. Though, in an amusing scene, there is a cardinal who would grant him a meeting if Guido could get the autographed photo of Kidman. Such is life. For all the energy involved in the musical scenes, there is a lack here. It is frenetic without substance. The few times we are allowed to see Guido trying to tackle a writing situation are few and far between, just when we think the film is getting serious, there is another actress with hair to toss. It should have been the other way around, less hair and more emoting. Copyright 2010 Marie Asner
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