The Nines (2007)

A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.

Director:

John August

Writer:

John August

Stars:

Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Reynolds	...	Gary / Gavin / Gabriel
Melissa McCarthy	...	Margaret / Melissa / Mary
Hope Davis	...	Sarah / Susan / Sierra
Elle Fanning	...	Noelle
David Denman	...	Parole Officer / Agitated Man
Octavia Spencer	...	Streetwalker (credited) / Pedestrian (uncredited)
Ben Falcone	...	Ben Falcone
Dahlia Salem	...	Dahlia Salem
John Gatins	...	John Gatins
Andy Fielder	...	Moderator
Jodi Sellards	...	Piano Player
Greg Baine	...	Delivery Guy
Martin Yu	...	Focus Group Participant #1
Gregg Naaman	...	Focus Group Participant #2
Lorene Scafaria	...	Game Night Guest

Storyline

Gary, an actor who plays a cop on television, uses too much lighter fluid when he burns his ex-girlfriend's things, then he drinks and drives, uses crack, and crashes his car. He sobers up in jail and is placed under house arrest and the watchful eye of a publicist, the cheery and tough-minded Margaret. She moves him into the empty house of a writer who's away in Canada on a shoot. Gary meets Sarah, an attractive and seemingly-willing neighbor. His friendship with Margaret blooms and strange things happen: he finds notes he doesn't remember writing, he hears noises, and he seems to bump into himself in the kitchen. Two remaining chapters reveal what's going on.

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Plot Keywords:

television | house | actor | house arrest | writer | 

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Taglines:

Y9u never kn9w when y9ur number is up

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

9 - A szám hatalma

Filming Locations:

Cafe Susina - 7122 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$29,172 (USA) (31 August 2007)

Gross:

$62,745 (USA) (5 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Destination Films, Jinks/Cohen Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are nine mousetraps on the floor when Gary steps on one of them.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gary: Hey, do you sell crack?
[drug dealer looks confused]
Gary: No, it's cool. I only play a cop on TV.

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Connections

References Misery (1990)

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Soundtracks

Bang Bang to the Rock 'N' Roll
Written by Filippo Clary and Massimo Bottini
Performed by Gabin
Courtesy of Astralwerks
Under license from EMI film & Television Music

User Reviews

Beautifully Surreal

John August really outdid himself in his directorial debut. We all knew he could write, and now we know that he is one hell of a director. He took risks, and accepted major challenges, including filming out of his own house to save budget. With a cast lead by Ryan Reynolds, who really exceptionally out-did himself, this movie was the best movie nobody has ever heard of.

Filmed in three parts, "The Nines" connects the three worlds using a simple, common term...the number 9. Now, this isn't like The Number 23. There are reasons, and there are valid points to why 9 was chosen, and you'll just have to watch the film to figure it out. The result is something very existential and outside the box when it comes to typical cinematic works. The relationships between Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, and Melissa McCarthy are so perfectly intertwined, and little Elle Fanning deserves major credit for playing what role she did. (a mute child who has a curious omniscience about her) She's really following in her sister's footsteps to becoming a fantastic actress.

This film did not get the credit it deserved in the theaters. Let's make sure it does on DVD.