Movie #111..................................."Nine"

Movie #111 "Nine" the musical directed by "Chicago's" Rob Marshall was marvelous! I don't know what the critics are saying, but I responded to this on every level. First, technically, it is amazing! AMAZING! Marshall takes what would be boring people or songs in Guido's life and springs them into action by the editing, the staging, the lighting, the choreography, the casting, everything worked for me! I esp. liked his wife Maria Cotillard, who up until now, I thought was way over-rated as an actress, but boy is she good here! And Judi Dench, what a pleasure to watch her in a musical number (her roots). I was most amazed with Daniel Day-Lewis, but I'm not sure why I'd be surprised -----he seems to embody every character he plays from Christy Brown to Gangs of New York to There Will Be Blood --- he is probably the best actor we have now and it's so much fun to watch him play Guido, a part that at one time solely belonged to Raul Julia. When I heard that Guido was being played by Lewis, I was surprised --- glad that it wasn't someone untalented like Antonio Banderas (who last played it on broadway) but worried that Lewis couldn't sing ---- but it was fine. Rob Marshall proved what we've known about casting musicals for a long time --- choose the people who can best "act" their way through the songs, and pepper the cast with better voices on the songs that need only voice (like the Fergie one). And that's what he did here. I also reacted emotionally to the movie when I never did to the show itself ----- maybe I was too young when I became acquainted with the show, and Guido is closer to my age now, but because of this movie , I understood his plight (maybe it was the way the story was told) ---- I could feel for the guy who is always expected to do the next show better than the one he just finished.....to be involved in a project that zaps everything out of you and the people who love you that are around you. If any of this sounds interesting to you, then I think you'll respond to it as well as I did. And who cares what the critics say about this one and make sure you see it!

Average rating: 3.253
I gave it 5 stars and proud of it!
Nine
(2009) PG-13
Movie director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is in the throes of a midlife crisis, struggling to write his film while juggling relationships with wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), mistress Carla (Penélope Cruz), muse Claudia (Nicole Kidman), producer Lilli (Judi Dench) and his mother (Sophia Loren). Rob Marshall (Chicago) helms this musical based on the Broadway smash; Stacy Ferguson and Kate Hudson co-star.