Based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical musical, 8 ½, Nine centers on director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis). Guido is in the midst of a crisis, though when you consider his life, it's incredibly hard to feel sorry for him. Just as he is about to embark on his ninth film, his life is falling apart. His marriage is crumbling, his last two films were flops and his next one has no script.
To escape and hopefully find inspiration in the bed of his mistress (Penelope Cruz), Guido heads to a seaside resort. His escape is in vain. His producer and production team show up, entourages in tow, as does his wife, Luisa (Marion Cotillard). The convergence of forces strains Guido's creative block even more, forcing him to retreat to his memories.
Since Guido is a director, his memories play out on the unfinished set for his yet-to-be-written movie. The women in Guido's life make up a landscape of his life. There's his mother, played by Sophia Loren, as well as a Saraghina (Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson), a whore from his childhood, his muse, Claudia (Nicole Kidman) and Stephanie (Kate Hudson), a reporter with Vogue. Each is a milestone indicating the man Guido has become, leading him through a journey to rekindle his failing imagination.
Each woman's story is set up by a musical number, which seems to be the sole reason for the film's awkward plotting. The set pieces, which represent the fragmented pieces of Guido's memory, are incredible. However, the production numbers wear thin incredibly quickly and never fully mesh with the melodrama playing out in Guido's life. There are some interesting cuts between Guido's life and the melodies playing through his head, though the film becomes too reliant on the concept. The setup is plodding and the plot never feels like it is going anywhere. In a sense, it's a great reflection of Guido's state of mind, but as a viewer I expected more movement.
Nine's problems don't end with its plot. Rob Marshall's direction is just as stilted as in Chicago, his last musical. Production numbers are grand, but the only cast member with any sort of musical chops is Fergie. It just so happens that her piece is one of the film's more entertaining. Nicole Kidman comes in at a distant second, but she's the only other cast member with some proven singing talent (an no, Kate Hudson's rendition of "You're so Vain" from How to Lose a Guy... doesn't count).
At least the acting is spot-on. Though singing careers are out of the question for most of the cast, they put on a great performance. Both Kidman and Cruz are the real standouts, though everyone in the cast puts on a great show. With so many stars, Nine seems to have a hard time finding enough for everyone to do. Cruz and Marion Cotillard play the only fleshed-out female roles, while everyone else is reduced to a song and a scene. It's amazing how much the women are able to get out of such little screen time, particularly Kidman.
The DVD extras are fun, if only because they show off the spectacle behind the film's production numbers. One of the more entertaining extras covers the choreography behind "Be Italian," Fergie's musical number. The feature only runs four minutes, but manages to pack in a lot of content. Another number getting the feature treatment is "Cinema Italiano," Kate Hudson's piece. One extra covers the making of the piece while another looks at the choreography, or rather Hudson's attempts to keep up with the other dancers. "Cinema Italiano" is included as music videos, along with Kidman and Cotillard's pieces.
Nine is all show with little substance. The production values behind each song and acting are stellar. Unfortunately, questionable editing, direction and lack of real story trip up what would otherwise be a good film.
