Nine - the film with, annoyingly, eight stars in it. In fact, a line-up to die for including Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren and Judi Dench. The latter drew me to the film itself, a chance to see Ms. Dench glamming it up was an opportunity not to be missed!
The film tells the story of Guido Contini (played by a dodgy Italian sounding Daniel Day-Lewis) who is a film director loved and adored by the people of Italy. He is in the midst of a mid-life and mid-career crisis; his new film is going to be shot in 10 days and he hasn't started the script, his wife is unhappy, his mistress too demanding and his muse, well, being a muse. The film flits dramatically from fantasy to reality with the many women in his life performing raunchy, provocative numbers whilst including 'flashbacks' of Contini's difficult childhood.
The musical elements were probably what saved this film in my opinion, they were over the top, glamorous and totally extravagant - exactly what you expect from 'the director of Chicago' Rob Marshall. Unfortunately the storyline is weak, predictable and sometimes led to quite awkward viewing. As there are so many female leads it's hard to form a relationship with any character, apart from perhaps with Contini's wife, the wonderful Marion Cotillard who was criminally under-used.
N.B. The film is called Nine for two reasons; Guido Contini has had 9 top films up to the one he is about to write and throughout the film there are black and white flashbacks to when he is nine years old.
