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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Nine (Film)

by Rhiannon Sawyer | January 19, 2010 12:53 | Edited January 19, 2010 12:56

Majestic in parts, but lacks a strong narrative.

There is much to be said about the majesty of Nine. The huge musical set pieces are a sight to behold, with beautiful women smashing tambourines across their chests and hanging from every inch of scaffolding that holds up the proscenium arches. The sound stage where each of these songs is filmed is transformed depending on the singer - blank and bare for Day-Lewis' sad and confused Guido Contini, bright and shimmering for Kate Hudson's fashion reporter, and a seductive red for Fergie's Saraghina. It is a highly effective theatrical device.

 

Nine is based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on Fellini's 8½. It follows the collapse of legendary director Guido Contini whose wife, mistress, leading lady and a demanding film studio all descend on him at once. Contini, however, is in the middle of a film director's version of writer's block and can't seem to get his latest script together. Between flashbacks to the past and conversations with his deceased mother, Contini's world slowly collapses around his ears.

 

Despite never having seen most of the leading cast in a musical before, every actor manages to impress with both their singing and dancing abilities, especially Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) who has two solos, both of which demonstrate her amazing range and versatility. The film's only fault is that it lacks the driving narrative force that Marshall had with Chicago, which may be the fault of the original author of the libretto, but it results in the film losing momentum between the awesome musical sequences. Despite this, songs such as ‘Be Italian' and ‘Cinema Italiano' offer a substantial reward, making up for the slightly slower sections.