Just Watched...

Nine
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren

Rating: PG-13

Score: 2.5/4


I really wanted to love this movie. When I first heard about it I watched every trailer I could find and I listened to the songs once they hit the Internet. I was salivating in my seat waiting for this movie. Unfortunately, I never got to see it in theaters.  But, I rented it from the library (hey, it's free) and watched it.  Oh dear.

Don't get me wrong, it had flashy scenery, deep meaning and great costumes. But...something was missing. It was probably a mistake for me to sit down and watch this expecting it to be great, there was no way it could live up to my hopes.

The singing was of course great, except for one person: Kate Hudson.  When she hit her high notes in the song 'Cinema Italiano' it sounded amazing! But on her low notes, she just sounded slightly off-key to me which was disappointing.

There are a lot of characters featured in this movie, here's a little breakdown to keep them straight.

Luisa Contini- Played by Marion Cotillard, she is Guido Contini's long-suffering wife
Carla- Played by Penelope Cruz, she is Guido's mistress
Mamma- Played by Sophia Loren, she is Guido's deceased mother whom he sees in flashbacks
Claudia- Played by Nicole Kidman, she is an international movie star and Guido's leading lady and muse
Lilli- Played by Judi Dench, she is Guido's agent and costume mistress and sensible friend
Stephanie- Played by Kate Hudson, she is a Vogue reporter who loves Guido's movies
Seraghina- Played by Fergie, she is a prostitute who Guido meets in his childhood

My favorite songs from this movie were 'My Husband Makes Movies' performed by Marion Cotillard and 'Be Italian' performed by Fergie. Cotillard's song will bring tears your eyes, it's exquisitely emotional. Fergie's song is exciting and raunchy, you can't help smiling at the lyrics and appreciating the nuances of the dance.

This movie felt slow, it seemed to be bogged down by Guido Contini himself.  The purpose of the movie is explaining how all the women in Guido's life affect him when he has a severe case of writer's block.  However, I found myself getting more and more frustrated with Guido as the movie went on. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the tortured artist nicely, but his character is not likeable. Four of the women in the list above are in love with Guido, but he manages to make them all unhappy at some point.  Marion Cotillard's character Luisa is the character that will touch your heart the most; she just wants Guido to love her like he used to before his films took over his life.

The concept for this movie was intriguing, but the movie itself was a bit mucky.