NINE

I can’t say a bad word about the stars of “Nine.” Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and the legendary Sophia Loren are wonderful performers.
The production values are all in place, they spent big money on the sets, clothes and musical numbers.
“Nine” has transformed a great whimsical movie of the 1960s into a contemporary musical. The aspirations of the filmmakers are high and this is both the blessing and the curse of “Nine.” They made a quality film, but since they made such a film, they are being held to a higher standard than “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 25.”
The movie is 30 minutes too long, the music is well staged, but not memorable. The format seems to line up each star for their share of stage time and it is all very predictable. I hate to knock this film, but it wants to be taken very seriously and yet, the spark of greatness is not there; it is worth the trip to the theater, but it is more a six, than a nine.