Nine (2009)

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writers:

Michael Tolkin (screenplay) and
Anthony Minghella (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Plot:

Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother. |

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Song | Womanizer | Singer | One Word Title

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Guido Contini
Marion Cotillard	...	Luisa Contini
Nicole Kidman	...	Claudia
Penélope Cruz	...	Carla
Judi Dench	...	Lilli
Sophia Loren	...	Mamma
Stacy Ferguson	...	Saraghina (as Fergie)
Kate Hudson	...	Stephanie
Ricky Tognazzi	...	Dante
Giuseppe Cederna	...	Fausto
Elio Germano	...	Pierpaolo
Andrea Di Stefano	...	Benito
Roberto Nobile	...	Jaconelli
Romina Carancini	...	Production Assistant
Alessandro Denipotti	...	Production Assistant

Also Known As:

Untitled Rob Marshall Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45660)

Filming Locations:

Camber Sands, Camber, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Weinstein Company, The

Trivia:

The film's cast has an impressive collective Academy Award history with six Academy Award winners and an additional one nominee: - Nicole Kidman was awarded for The Hours (2002), and was nominated in 2002 for her role in Moulin Rouge! (2001). - Daniel Day-Lewis is a two time winner for the films My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007), as well as being nominated for both In the Name of the Father (1993) and Gangs of New York (2002). - Judi Dench won a supporting actress Oscar in 1999 for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998) and has been nominated for both supporting and leading roles on another five occasions for Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001/I), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) and Notes on a Scandal (2006). - Sophia Loren won her first award in 1962 for La ciociara (1960) and has since been nominated once more for Matrimonio all'italiana (1964) and also received an Honorary Award in 1991. - Marion Cotillard was awarded in 2008 for La môme (2007). - Penélope Cruz was awarded in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) and was nominated for Volver (2006/I). - 'Kate Hudson' was nominated for her supporting role in Almost Famous (2000). The crew has also been recognized by the Academy: - Director Rob Marshall was nominated for Chicago (2002). - Writer Michael Tolkin was nominated for The Player (1992). - Writer Anthony Minghella has been nominated twice for other adaptations. Both in 1997 for The English Patient (1996) for which he also won Best Director, and later for The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). - Cinematographer Dion Beebe was nominated for Chicago (2002), and later won the award for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), both directed by Rob Marshall. -Production Designer John Myhre was awarded for Chicago (2002) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and nominated for Elizabeth (1998) and _'Dreamgirls' (2006)_ (qv - Set decorator Gordon Sim was awarded for Chicago (2002). - Make up and hair designer Peter King won for Best Makeup in 2004 for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). - Well-renowned producer Harvey Weinstein has an Academy Award from when Shakespeare in Love (1998) won Best Picture in 1999. He also produced Gangs of New York (2002) which was nominated for Best Picture in 2003.

Quotes:

Saraghina: [from trailer] Be... Italian...
Saraghina: Be Italian...
Saraghina: Take a chance and try to steal a fiery kiss!
Saraghina: Be Italian...
Saraghina: Be Italian...
Saraghina: When you hold me, don't just hold me, but... hold... this!...
Saraghina: ...Be a singer!
Chorus: Be a singer!
Saraghina: Be a lover!
Chorus: Be a lover!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Jay Leno Show: (#1.44)" (2009)

Another excellent adaptation from Rob Marshall

The film is beautiful, visually stunning, and exciting, and the cast is remarkable, especially Penelope Cruz (no surprise there), Marion Cotillard (her singing is wonderful), and the gal who blows the doors off -- an unrecognizable (to me, anyhow) Fergie! I was watching the credits to see who the hell played Saraghina, and was stunned to learn it was Stacy Ferguson. Go Fergie! Judi Dench is a smash as well. Nicole Kidman doesn't reveal anything we haven't seen before, but she does bring the large dollop of Movie Star shine for which her role calls. Even Kate Hudson pleases; her 60's go-go dance will inevitably bring comparisons to her mother's "Laugh In" heyday.

Having said all that, I honestly don't know who is the audience for this film. "Nine" was hardly the Broadway smash that "Dreamgirls", or "Chicago" was, and the score is entirely obscure. Additionally, do most people really care about the trials and tribulations of a self-involved, duplicitous 1960's-era Italian filmmaker? Does it matter? Do you have to actually like the protagonist to learn something from his experiences? Box-office-wise, this picture is going to live or die on the reviews, and people's interest in seeing these actresses shine. (I read here that Renee Zellwegger was under consideration for a role in this film... What a disaster that would have been!) And, of course, those who like seeing Daniel Day Lewis stretch new muscles (he chain smokes! He sings!) I enjoyed it very, very much... and now I'm very curious to see what the world thinks of it.