Nine On The Way

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The Weinstein Co. invited a few journalists up to Gray Albion Hotel rooftop suite early this evening to watch a rehearsal reel from Rob Marshall's Nine (Weinstein Co., 11.25) as well as the recently released trailer. If you've seen the latter you know it's got that old Rob Marshall/Chicago schwing blended with a jaded erotic male menopause Euro-vibe. It's a pretty safe bet. People eat this shit up. Even I'm willing to.

The idea is lure the viewer into a moody adult fantasia trip about Italian film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day Lewis) who's in creative trouble as he prepares a film called Italia. Blocked, midlife crisis, who am I?, great to be rich, love my car, cruising the Italian coast, sensual delights at every turn, I'll find my way, etc.

The other idea, of course, is to make Nine into an Oscar-competing superhit which will make enough dough to restore the Weinstein Co. to firmer financial footing than it has known over the last three or four years. It's Harvey Weinstein's ticket back to the bigtime. By all appearances and indications it looks like a hummer.

Obviously shot with the required sultry attractiveness by Dion Beebe and based, of course, on Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's 1982 Broadway musical, Nine is essentially based (as the play was) on Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 ('63).

Call it "Daniel Day looking for inspiration and spending a lot of time with several alluring women" -- his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard) mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz), a muse (Nicole Kidman), a pal and confidante (Judi Dench), his mother (Sophia Loren), a journalist (Kate Hudson) and a prostitute named Saraghina (Stacy Ferguson).

I loved that the rehearsal reel contains some black-and-white footage, which of course harkens back to the Fellini film. The film was shot in London and various Italian locales, including Rome.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 18, 2009 at 1:15 PM

comment #1

Colin says ...

I really would like for this to stay out of the Oscar spotlight. Marshall got one undeserved Oscar already and I couldn't stand for two bad films to win an oscar in a row.

Posted by Colin at May 18, 2009 1:53 PM

comment #2

KC says ...

I have a huge soft spot for "Oscar bait I take my mom to see." Slick movie musical with Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench and Sophia Loren fits the bill quite nicely thank you.

Posted by KC at May 18, 2009 2:05 PM

comment #3

KC says ...

Incidentally, presence of the first actor on that list means that there is a box set in my mind with There Will Be Blood filed alongside Chicago, Atonement, The Queen, Moulin Rouge, etc.

Posted by KC at May 18, 2009 2:08 PM

comment #4

Josh Massey says ...

Oscar winners don't star Fergie.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 18, 2009 2:08 PM

comment #5

EdHavens says ...

Colin, what Oscar does Marshall have? He didn't win for Chicago (Polanski won that year for The Pianist) and he wasn't nominated for Geisha.

Posted by EdHavens at May 18, 2009 3:29 PM

comment #6

mpneeb says ...

Josh,

Technically, Fergie isn't starring.

She was great in Grindhouse, however.

Posted by mpneeb at May 18, 2009 3:50 PM

comment #7

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Rob Marshall is the Michael Bay of musical directors...

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at May 18, 2009 4:44 PM

comment #8

Edward says ...

Be Italian is one of the songs? Yuck. 81/2 is so trippy and this looks nothing like 81/2 or even close: even with the hot women. Dumb idea.

Posted by Edward at May 18, 2009 4:53 PM

comment #9

sumo-pop says ...

When did Daniel Day Lewis join the Cirque du Soleil?

Posted by sumo-pop at May 18, 2009 7:06 PM

comment #10

televisiontears says ...

Is anyone else a little sad that this is the kind of respect that 8 1/2 gets? I never saw the play, and know no one who has, so I'm ignorant to the material. Oh well, DDL stars and it's not like he picks projects out of a hat.

At the very least, the silver lining will be the renewed attention from a few soccer moms that Fellini's finest film (in my opinion) will get.

Posted by televisiontears at May 18, 2009 7:44 PM

comment #11

Admiral82 says ...

Michael Bay of musical Directors? No way. That's too harsh. Chicago was good. I haven't seen Geisha yet.

At least Marshall has some fucking artisic integrity.

Posted by Admiral82 at May 18, 2009 8:34 PM

comment #12

Bob Violence says ...

At least Marshall has some fucking artisic integrity.

You wouldn't say this if you'd seen Geisha

Posted by Bob Violence at May 18, 2009 10:14 PM

comment #13

Phatang! says ...

Good is a trailer that makes me want to see a movie I will no doubt hate.

Posted by Phatang! at May 18, 2009 10:37 PM

comment #14

Sean says ...

I just saw All That Jazz for the first time this spring, and in 35mm to boot, and that of course is also an 8 1/2 knockoff. But it's also a major film work and one that really capitalizes on the lunacy of adapting someone's else autobiography for yourself. So not only is Marshall filming a 20-year-old musical and treading on Fellini, but he's also re-reinventing the idea of turning 8 1/2 into a high-concept film musical, so he's treading on Fosse too. That takes balls.

Posted by Sean at May 19, 2009 6:49 AM

comment #15