Every artist at some point in his life ends up being lost and wants to escape his own reality. He creates his own world by his own rules, lacking inspiration and things to say. Then lying becomes a habit and everything goes out of hand. But in the end of the day, we know that art is about beauty and therefore it has to be about truth. With "8 1/2", Fellini found a way to free himself from all the things that he carried on his back. He opened his heart to the world and broke all the rules of cinema, making one of the best author movies ever.
The subject of the both films is the director's own struggle. However, "Nine", was a totally different film. In my opinion "8 1/2" is about Fellini himself, whereas "Nine" is about Fellini's life seen through Rob Marshall's eyes. It felt like i was watching "8 1/2" in color. Nevertheless, i had some problems with the beginning of the film. It was too long before i caught up with the character's empathy and confusion, until very late in the film, when Kate Hudson "stole the show" with a very brief but amazing performance of a woman from a fashion world. Eventually, every woman in the film brings different tone and shape of Guido's world. They are all part of his chaotic life.
"Nine" obviously does not have the depth of "8 1/2", but the musical sequences which intersect the narrative, every time some of the characters want to confess something, give the film a more playful and cheerful tone. I found them very helpful for the story and liberating at time. Daniel Day Lewis did a really good job as Guido Contini, being a confused but lovable director, who lost his touch with reality by wanting to be everywhere at the same time, when in the end ends up being in a labyrinth of lies. "Nine" is also some kind of American tribute for the Italian neorealism, one of the best and sexiest periods of cinema as well.
This is a film about every person who is lost and finds it very difficult to be present in his own reality. It's always hard to make your work personal, but that's the only way. Thus, you never have to lie. It is very important for an artist not to lie, and most important is not to lie to himself. 8/10
The subject of the both films is the director's own struggle. However, "Nine", was a totally different film. In my opinion "8 1/2" is about Fellini himself, whereas "Nine" is about Fellini's life seen through Rob Marshall's eyes. It felt like i was watching "8 1/2" in color. Nevertheless, i had some problems with the beginning of the film. It was too long before i caught up with the character's empathy and confusion, until very late in the film, when Kate Hudson "stole the show" with a very brief but amazing performance of a woman from a fashion world. Eventually, every woman in the film brings different tone and shape of Guido's world. They are all part of his chaotic life.
"Nine" obviously does not have the depth of "8 1/2", but the musical sequences which intersect the narrative, every time some of the characters want to confess something, give the film a more playful and cheerful tone. I found them very helpful for the story and liberating at time. Daniel Day Lewis did a really good job as Guido Contini, being a confused but lovable director, who lost his touch with reality by wanting to be everywhere at the same time, when in the end ends up being in a labyrinth of lies. "Nine" is also some kind of American tribute for the Italian neorealism, one of the best and sexiest periods of cinema as well.
This is a film about every person who is lost and finds it very difficult to be present in his own reality. It's always hard to make your work personal, but that's the only way. Thus, you never have to lie. It is very important for an artist not to lie, and most important is not to lie to himself. 8/10