Nine musical

Nine (2009) nominations
Nine movie
Nine movie animated

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While the songs are familiar, I never caught the Broadway show with book by Arthur Kopit and music by Maury Yeston—either the 1982 original directed by Tommy Tune or the 2003 revival, both Tony Award winning productions. Like Mel Brooks' The Producers, Rob Marshall's adaptation of Nine reflects a cinema to theater to cinema cycle, although most people (including myself) thought the Susan Stroman re-imagination of the former was a deadly bore. The prospects are definitely improved with the new winter holiday entry, from the musical play based on Italian cineaste Federico Fellini's masterpiece 8½, now expanded by stage-turned-movie director Marshall, master of the successful and massively enjoyable Chicago seven years ago and the technically stunning 2005 adaptation of Arthur Golden's book Memoirs of a Geisha. His third film has already garnered some award nominations, claiming 10 Broadcast Film Critics and 5 Golden Globes nominations, as well as winning two Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards (Best Art Direction, Best Ensemble). While more prize nods will follow, thes

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I am not that big a fan of musicals. I am not entirely sure why, because I do enjoy them. I like going to watch theatre musicals once in a while; a memory of ‘Fame’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ during my youth is always a delight to recall. Having said that, the fun, the excitement, and the feeling of wanting to dance along to “FAME! I’m gonna live forever…” is always something that doesn’t quite last. It remains perfectly preserved in that moment itself, but seemingly deprived of its own respiratory system once the credits started to roll. I loved ‘Fame’, but I wouldn’t go out and buy the CD. I enjoyed ‘West Side Story’, but it is still somewhat missing from my ever-burgeoning DVD collection.

Is this something that is limited to me, or is it an inherent quality of musicals themselves? Do others feel the same way, or am I the lone wolf here? More importantly, and more to the point of this particular write-up, will ‘Nine’ go the same way as the rest, or will it become something truly memorable?

Guido Cont

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Luisa Contini: Thank you.
Guido Contini: What for?
Luisa Contini: Thank you for reminding me I'm not special. You don't even see what you do, do you? Even the moments I think are ours, it's just you working to get what you want.

Stephanie: I was wondering if you think there's a limit to what you can show in a movie.
Guido Contini: What would you like to see that I haven't already shown you?

Guido Contini: Hold on to me, Mamma. Don't let me wake from this.

Guido Contini: [singing] Nothing holds together, nothing makes a bit of sense now. Impossible to grasp or understand. How can I go on to watch the whole of my existence end up being nothing that I planned?

Guido Contini: [singing] I would like the universe to get down On it's knees And say, "Guido, whatever you please, It's okay. Even if it's impossible, we'll Arrange it." That's all that I want.

[first lines]
Guido Contini: You kill your film several times, mostly by talking about it. A film is a dream. You kill it writing it down,