NINE: A Dazzling, Entertaining Escape!

Posted on December 25, 2009 by Lolita Carrico

Nine is a star-studded, fabulous musical that will give you the urge to hop a plane to Rome and drive around in a convertible. This movie is a delightful and entertaining escape into another world, the world of Italian film director Guido Contini.

Nine is a remake of Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ and the movie version of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical. It’s a dazzling film that offers non-stop entertainment and will have you singing Fergie’s knock-out number Be Italian for days afterward. Seriously, Fergie will blow you away, as will some of the other numbers in this musical.

Nine has Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren.

Nine is a provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

The original 1982 Broadway production of Nine was nominated for twelve Tony Awards and winning five, including Best Musical, was directed by Tommy Tune, choreographed by Thommie Walsh, starred Raúl Juliá with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Arthur Kopit. The 2003 Broadway revival of Nine received eight Tony Award nominations and won two, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Go and see this film with a friend, it’s the perfect choice for a girls night out.  Nine is a great escape for the winter blues and it’s already been nominated for several Golden Globes, look for more award nominations for this musical.

If you’re still not sure you want to see this movie after reading about it here and watching the trailer, read Peter Traver’s review of NINE in Rolling Stone:

The women are smashing. Kidman tosses off her big number (“Unusual Way”), but Fergie sells hers (“Be Italian”). Dench is a sassy delight. Cruz does wonders as the mistress, sizzling in a rope dance (“Who’s afraid to kiss your toes, I’m not”) and going on to break your heart when Guido breaks hers. Best of all is Cotillard as the wife, baring her soul in “My Husband Makes Movies” and her body in a new number (“Take It All”) that lets her throw the bum out. Cotillard, beautiful and bruising all at once, is perfection. As Marshall gathers his cast together for a finale with cinematographer Dion Beebe, costume whiz Colleen Atwood and production designer John Myhre working at their highest capacity, Nine fires on all cylinders. As Guido sings, “What’s a good thing for if not taking it to excess?” Prego.

Read more about NINE on the movie website, (nine-movie.com).