NINE

My friend Johnny (showbiz expert and writer) absolutely loved Nine, which was a fact that worried me slightly as it has become a general rule that every film he has "adored, daaaarrrling", I have hated.
So, it was with an open mind that I went to see this Rob Marshall version of Maury Yeston's 1982 Broadway musical, and I must admit I did enjoy the majority of it.
Adapted from Federico Fellini’s celebrated film 8 1/2, the musical centres upon sixties cool cat Italian film director Guidio Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he faces a crisis of confidence about the filming of his latest self obsessed film. During the run up to camera roll, he has cause to examine the female influences in his life and the mistakes he has made in the climb to fame.
Yes, all the stuff of a marvelous musical....and for the most part it delivers!, with a showy cast to die for, some impressive set pieces and glowing cinematography Nine is impressively in-your-face. Day- Lewis (never one of my favourite actors) is excellent as the destructive Guido, Kate Hudson is a fireball of energy as a vogue journalist who can dance like a vixen, and Penélope Cruz and Nicole Kidman are just fine as mistress and film star respectively. But, for me, it is Marion Cotillard as Guidio's wife, who steals the entire film . When she sings "My Husband makes movies!", she does so with such a cold, demure grace that almost hides her sad fury at his affairs, that she literally breaks your heart. For me, watching her sing this one song, was worth the price of the cinema ticket alone.
Mind you not everything in the film works so well!
Strangely enough the only Italian in the film, Sophia Loren is miscast as Guido's mother and I could have done without Stacy Ferguson's bosoms bouncing around so much.....but I guess those are small complaints in an otherwise entertaining and original film musical
8/10