The Nines

Normally, I don't like gimmicky movies. All right, I'll admit that I enjoyed "The Third Man", "Vertigo", "Psycho", "The Usual Suspects", "The Sixth Sense" and "Memento". But usually when I see something like "Persona", "Miller's Crossing", "Jacob's Ladder", "Mulholland Drive", "Lady in the Water", or "The Prestige", I want to throw something at the screen because I feel the writers and directors of these movies are either insulting my intelligence, or displaying a lack thereof on their part. "The Nines" is that refreshing sort of gimmick-film that shows intelligence on the filmmaker's part, but doesn't insult the viewers'.

The film is divided into 3 distinct chapters, each starring Ryan Reynolds as the protagonist, Melissa McCarthy as someone who clings to Reynolds, and Hope Davis as someone who is trying to pull Reynolds away from McCarthy using the phrase "Look for the Nines." And each chapter ends ironically in a way that partially reveals what the catch-phrase means and connects the chapter to the other two.

In chapter one, Reynolds plays Gary, an actor under house arrest for buying crack. Since he doesn't have his own place, he is assigned to live with his hyper-perky publicist Margaret (McCarthy) in a house belonging to a TV producer, currently in New York shopping his new show. Gary and Margaret eventually develop a flirty relationship, even though "flirting" tends to involve viciously insulting each other. Eventually, the idyll ends when next-door-neighbor Sarah (Davis) takes an interest in Gary, and tells him that since he is a nine out of ten on the attractiveness scale, he should dump the overweight Margaret and "look for the nines".

In chapter two, Reynolds plays Gavin, the TV producer who owns the house where Gary is confined in chapter one. He is in New York shopping a new supernatural series starring Melissa McCarthy (playing herself in this chapter) as a mother who is left sitting in a car with her creepy mute daughter (Elle Fanning) while her husband looks for help. Test audiences love the show, but want him to replace the overweight McCarthy with someone more conventionally attractive. Gavin resists because of his feelings of loyalty towards McCarthy, and eventually network exec Susan (Davis) steps in, and tell him he needs to see how the test audience voted from one to ten and "look for the nines" and see what they have to say about the show.

The third chapter is the drama that Gavin was producing in chapter two. Reynolds is Gabriel, a software designer out for a drive in the woods, when his car runs out of gas. He leaves his wife Mary (McCarthy) to care for their creepy mute daughter Noelle (Fanning), while he looks for help. Eventually he runs into Sierra (Davis) who leads him on a wild goose chase before finally telling him what the phrase "Look for the Nines" really means, and why he has to abandon his family.

I like that each chapter has its own genre. Chapter 1 is a musical romantic comedy shot conventionally on film, with lots of close-ups. Chapter 2 is a pseudo-reality-show shot on shaky-cam DV that never gets particularly close to the actors. And Chapter 3 is a thriller with cinematography that splits the difference between the first two chapters: It's shot on DV; and when the characters run, the camera shakes; but in the still moments, the camera is still; and there are plenty of close-ups of people's faces.

I also like that when the secret of "The Nines" is revealed, it doesn't feel forced or like writer-director John August has pulled a fast one on us. And I thought it was cool that the female lead went to someone who doesn't fit the conventional body type of a Hollywood actress.

The only complaint I have about this movie is that the acting, directing and camera-work were merely adequate. Only the writing was truly exceptional. But good writing can absolve a multitude of sins far worse than what this film is guilty of. 8 out of 10.

I will begin with the admission that this is not a boring film. It succeeds in holding one's interest, as it might be one of the very least predictable movies I can recall. Essentially, without giving anything away, although you won't be missing much, it's divided into three vignettes. The first one acquaints us with a distressed Hollywood actor, Gary, under house arrest living in another person's house because he burned down his own. While confined, he is taken care of by both a chubby P.R. 'handler' and the sexy single mom next door, who may or may not be interested in him sexually. Over this time, Gary becomes convinced that he is being haunted by the number nine.

Then comes the next segment while we are reeling with curiosity. It follows a gay television writer, Gavin, played by Ryan Reynolds, who played Gary before, trying to get his pilot made. We raise an eyebrow when we find that the house he lives in is the house Gary later stays in. Hm. At some stage in the course of post-production, a television executive pushes for Gavin to ditch the unconventional (chubby) lead actress of his project, played by the same actress who played the PR rep before.

And then in the third act, a video game designer, again Ryan Reynolds and again a name beginning with "Ga," is lost when his car breaks down, a situation shown in Gavin's pilot. He leaves his wife and daughter with the stranded vehicle and meets a mysterious woman. By the time this act reaches its revelation, the wide-eyed look of curiosity on your face becomes an empty expression, a time void for your muscles, as the big surprise that binds these bizarre fragments and concludes. You will have been led on a wild goose chase and once you catch the goose, the filmmaker, John August, has been pandering to his own wishful fantasies of spiritual grandeur, under the oh-so-impressive guise of a film that explores the concept of simulated reality.

In any case, the film has no atmosphere, the cast surrounding Reynolds has no charisma in spite of decent deliveries, and when it's over, one only wants to forget about it. The only props I give are for its aforementioned success with its lack of probable expectations, even if it's all for the least satisfying pay-off. Imagine Sharon Stone flirting with you, playing footsie, offering you a ride home, putting her hand on your lap, then going to her place and finding that she enticed you there only to show off her collection of china patterns. On a smaller scale, that is what you will experience if you see The Nines.

The Nines has some fantastic ideas and some really rather good performances (Melissa McCarthy is a constant joy throughout and Ryan Reynolds shows an impressive diversity for his acting league) however, after a promising start, loses its way as the story progresses.

A film of three distinct parts in a Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) style, The Nines deals with some seriously deep themes including philosophy, theology and betrayal. However, unlike Eternal Sunshine, the direction of John August (writer of Go and Big Fish) seems too straight and, dare I say it, Teen-like for such a film where a better choice of helm would have seem to be someone like David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks) or maybe Darren Aronofski (Pi, The Fountain). As it is the film progressively gets weirder and weirder and with it surrealism jars with the previous tone to the point it feels preposterous.

Worth a watch and nice to see someone try something new but ultimately disappointing.

I saw it yesterday and, too much different of what I've read here, I simply saw a housewife completely slaved by the crack. Her pain and dreams are so intense that she creates another world, where she is important, famous and mother at the same time. But all of this has a high cost, each price showed in each chapter. Ryan is the crack itself: he is her best friend, her lover and her husband. When he goes away her imaginary world comes to an end: she is cured. The movie just shows us what her mind creates while she tries to get rid of the power of the drug, the crack. What does Ryan think of all this? He is God, such is the power of the drug. He created Melissa's world and He has the power to destroy it when she is cured.

I wrote this without reading any of the other reviews, mostly cos i didn't want them to influence my own, and partly cos i'm lazy. This was a very interesting film that left some to the imagination and a lot to interpretation (but not too much).

The film consists of 3 stories: the first about a house-arrested destructive TV star, the second a TV show writer with a new show in the works and the third a computer game creator stuck in the woods with his family. All three are played expertly by Ryan Reynolds. He is supported by two women, Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy, who are also very good at enforcing the bizarre yet irresistible vision of John August, who has a good track record of writing screenplays, most notably with Tim Burton (it's worth ignoring the Charlie's Angels jobs though). The three leads play different parts in each. That alone should prepare you for the world he has created in The Nines.

It is difficult to talk of the story without giving too much away, John August has found a great concept and worked it brilliantly into a interpretable screenplay and image. The world he has created seems very real, with characters that operate in abnormal situations, but ones in which i think we all can relate, given our excessive access to reality TV and celebrity.

The direction is good, you know from the very start that the green woollen wristband holds significance, and the witty, experienced, inflective screen writing is a joy (though at times August gives a little more away than is necessary).

The film is a fantasy and the nines are a mystery, both collaborating in a way that captures the imagination. The three stories intersect and overlap with themes that confuse and inspire, which will leave many audiences pondering for awhile. But it is not as confusing as it may appear as the plot unfolds fairly intricately to those paying attention. All of the stories hold explanations, and the last explains it all.

I saw this with a friend who i wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but surprisingly they did. I giggled, guffawed and gasped, while we exchanged plot ideas and interpretations, throughout. Sometimes it became a little dry, but on the whole this a very well thought out drama mystery thriller with an excellent philosophy.