Friday, February 27, 2009

Nine in 2009

The other day I mentioned Samuel L. Jackson's 9 movie film deal with Marvel. In writing out the word "nine" I realized that heading in 2009, I didn't know I could not mention one of 2009's most anticipated films...no, not G.I. Joe or Transformers 2, I'm talking about Nine.

In 1982 Nine was a Tony award success story with 12 nominations, winning 5 awards including best musical.

It's always hard to anticipate how musicals will perform at the box office and with critics, but one of the stage to screen success stories of this past decade was Chicago which went on to win 6 Oscars, including Best Picture and grossing over $170 million in the United States.

Chicago's director Rob Marshall (who also directed Memoirs of a Geisha) is again going to be bringing an award winning musical to the screen with Nine.

Nine is inspired by Federico Fellini's film 8½. In Nine, the plot focuses on Guido Contini, a film director turning 40 has a midlife crisis that leads him into many complicated relationships with women...including his wife, mistress, muse, protege, mother, and producer.

The cast stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the leading man (Guido Contini) surrounded by his many women. Along with Oscar winner Day-Lewis, he will also be around other high profile and Oscar winning and nominated actresses...Marion Cottilard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz (pictured above with Lewis), Kate Hudson, Fergie, and Sophia Loren.

It's hard to imagine a cast like that will be ignored from the Oscars, and Rob Marshall has proven that his films can earn critical respect as well as fill seats at the theaters.

Just a hunch, but I have a feeling Nine a significant role in the 2009 film scene.

3 comments:

crackers and cheese said...

I'm trying to figure out who is playing which woman in his life.

imdb.com confirms:

wife - Marion Cottilard
mistress - Penelope Cruz
muse - Nicole Kidman
protege - also Nicole Kidman
mother - Sofia Loren
producer - Judi Dench
prostitute first sexual partner - Fergie

It also lists "agent" as a character, so perhaps that is Kate Hudson? I would have guessed her as protege, but it seems that protege/muse are the same character.

Has anyone seen the musical who can confirm the characters?

Will said...

Since 8 1/2 is one of my favorite films of all time, I've got a love/hate relationship with this new project.

On the outset, I wanted to hate it. You just don't remake great films (Peter Jackson, Gus Van Sant) - you just don't.
But then I saw the director, the CAST (for crying out loud!), and I'm wondering ... could this be really, really good?

Glenn said...

Why get angry at the movie when the musical was made 25 years ago? It's an adaptation of the stage show, not a remake of the movie.