Italia

“A film is a dream…” affirms famed director Guido Contini to a room full of reporters, eagerly awaiting word of his ninth film, boldly titled Italia.

NINE, the musical film directed by Rob Marshall (CHICAGO), is just that: a series of interconnected dreams, or daydreams if you will, of the life, both personal and professional, of Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as it unravels furiously before his eyes.  His imagination is wild, his life like a circus, both of which are inescapable as he tries to begin his film.

His reality lies only in the amazing women who surround him: his mother (Sophia Loren), his costume designer and confidante (Dame Judi Dench), his beautiful wife (Marion Cotillard), his flighty mistress (Penelope Cruz),  his talented muse (Nicole Kidman), a flirtatious journalist from Vogue (Kate Hudson) and an enlightening prostitute from his childhood (Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson)

As his life tumbles out of control, his dreams, his memories and his desires break forth in astounding musical fantasies with the set of his film at the legendary Cinecitta Studios in Rome as his backdrop.  The musical numbers are extensive and well done: the choreography, the songs, the scenes themselves, all masterfully composed.

Of particular appeal to this reviewer, were the strength of the female characters in this movie, most of which had the heart to stand up to the male lead, a traditional Italian male figure, which was often not the case in the past.

The iconic and ever beautiful Sophia Loren, as the spirit of his mother, tries to lead him straight, taking the child-like Guido by the hand.  His wife, played by Cotillard, hands Guido the harshest reality check he’ll get, in one of the best performances of the movie.  Lilli (Dench) tells him like it is in the most direct, yet amusing way, and is by far one of the most remarkable characters of the film.

On the other hand, the characters of Stephanie (Hudson) and Claudia (Kidman) seemed typecast and a little stale.  The typical American floozy who tries unsuccessfully to bed Contini, Stephanie was a bit predictable. The only positive was the runway inspired musical interlude, “Live in an Italian Movie,” developed from Guido’s daydreams of her character.

Claudia, the muse, was equally overdone, and Kidman’s performance was dull and lacking, as once again she seemed to try to get by on her good looks.

Thankfully, the good unquestionably outlives the bad in NINE – the costumes are exquisite, the scenery breathtaking, the music is memorable and catchy.  Ultimately, the emotions conveyed in this movie definitely run the gamut.  As clichéd as it sounds, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll undeniably be entertained!

NINE opens in theatres Christmas Day, and the holidays seem like the perfect time to escape in a dream-world.

The only hitch? You’ll be singing “Italia” songs for the rest of the day!

Words by Sandra Cross Bussoli