Nine (2009)

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writers (WGA):

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:

Song | Italian | Dancer | Singer | Rome Italy

Awards:

1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Guido Contini
Marion Cotillard	...	Luisa Contini
Penélope Cruz	...	Carla
Nicole Kidman	...	Claudia
Judi Dench	...	Lilli
Kate Hudson	...	Stephanie
Sophia Loren	...	Mamma
Stacy Ferguson	...	Saraghina (as Fergie)
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 | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45660) | Ireland:12A

Filming Locations:

Camber Sands, Camber, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Weinstein Company, The

Trivia:

Actor Javier Bardem was set to star as Guido Contini but dropped out due to exhaustion. He decided to take a full year off to recuperate.

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.