The Nines
The Nines ***1/2
Directed by John August
Written by John August
Starring:
Ryan Reynolds as Gary/Gavin/Gabriel
Hope Davis as Sarah/Susan/Sierra
Melissa McCarthy as Margaret/Melissa/Mary
Elle Fanning as Noelle
102 Minutes(Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality. )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
John August spent a good few years writing for Tim Burton, and his screenplays took already published material and turned them into something special and unique. There was the masterpiece "Big Fish" which had writing that brought me to tears, and the lesser "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' which did capture the tone of the novel. With "The Nines" August is writing his own story, and it is just as neat and puzzling and mysteriously winning as his other screenplays. He also directs the film and has a knack for that as well, adding to the mystery that the story brings out.
Without revealing too much, "The Nines" tells three different tales-intersecting the same main four actors. In the first part, Ryan Reynolds plays a man who set fire to his house and is put under house arrest in the home of a writer. Gary is an actor and is quickly bored in the house. He ends up meeting his neighbor, Sarah-played by Hope Davis-who seems to be interested in him-or at least his acting persona. Gary gets creeped out by the house, and the strange noises he hears all night long. And he begins to notice the number "9" appears more than it should, and he tries to get to the bottom of that mystery. In the second part, Reynolds plays a writer (Gavin) who is getting ready for his television show "Knowing" to get on the air. The lead in the show is Melissa (played by Melissa McCarthy), an overweight woman that may not appear to be a classic leading role type, but Gavin has faith in her. However the executive at the studio-Susan (Played by Hope Davis) has other plans for the show. In the third part, Reynolds is Gabriel, a video game designer whose electric car runs out of batteries in the woods. He leaves it with his daughter and wife Mary (played by Melissa McCarthy), and on the trip to get cell phone service he meets Sierra (Hope Davis, again) who ends up giving him help.
The less you know about the film the better. It unfolds its three tales-all parallel not only in actors but also in characters-and unlocks mysteries as it goes along. And its a total blast discovering all of the similarities. Ultimately August has created a worthy commentary about the creator. Reynolds goes through three types of being a creator-an actor, a writer, and a video game designer-all of which end up designing their own worlds all for themselves. Does this status as a creator make him special than all the other regular people? The film even goes so far as to saying that Reynolds is God-all of his names actually start with the letter "G"-and the Hope Davis character(s) may be Satan herself-all of her names start with the letter "S" and she is always providing the most conflict for him. The movie is loosely based on August's own struggles to get a television show on the air, so that is another clue.
Ryan Reynolds is very good here. I've always said that with better material-better than "Just Friends" and "Waiting. . ."- he could really do some good work. He has a certain amount of charisma that is rare in recent actors. And his performance really delivers, never winking at the camera and taking all his characters seriously. Hope Davis is good as usual, and Melissa McCarthy is very good as well-this is my first experience with the latter, and August was brave to use a woman that is not usually in parts like this. One of two things August does-for example having Hope Davis do a musical number-doesn't really work and seriously seems out of place. I suppose he was trying to make it even stranger, but it just didn't fit. But this is an intelligent movie without ever seeming like too much. With repeat viewings you will probably be able to connect the mystery more, but I was able to get the point. At first I thought that it was going to be a thriller in the style of "The Number 23,' but it became something more-something more relevant to life and the universe, and it really does get to you if you want to be a writer. "The Nines" is very well done and should spark long conversation after seeing it.
Playing At:
Landmark Sunshine Cinemas
Directed by John August
Written by John August
Starring:
Ryan Reynolds as Gary/Gavin/Gabriel
Hope Davis as Sarah/Susan/Sierra
Melissa McCarthy as Margaret/Melissa/Mary
Elle Fanning as Noelle
102 Minutes(Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality. )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
John August spent a good few years writing for Tim Burton, and his screenplays took already published material and turned them into something special and unique. There was the masterpiece "Big Fish" which had writing that brought me to tears, and the lesser "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' which did capture the tone of the novel. With "The Nines" August is writing his own story, and it is just as neat and puzzling and mysteriously winning as his other screenplays. He also directs the film and has a knack for that as well, adding to the mystery that the story brings out.
Without revealing too much, "The Nines" tells three different tales-intersecting the same main four actors. In the first part, Ryan Reynolds plays a man who set fire to his house and is put under house arrest in the home of a writer. Gary is an actor and is quickly bored in the house. He ends up meeting his neighbor, Sarah-played by Hope Davis-who seems to be interested in him-or at least his acting persona. Gary gets creeped out by the house, and the strange noises he hears all night long. And he begins to notice the number "9" appears more than it should, and he tries to get to the bottom of that mystery. In the second part, Reynolds plays a writer (Gavin) who is getting ready for his television show "Knowing" to get on the air. The lead in the show is Melissa (played by Melissa McCarthy), an overweight woman that may not appear to be a classic leading role type, but Gavin has faith in her. However the executive at the studio-Susan (Played by Hope Davis) has other plans for the show. In the third part, Reynolds is Gabriel, a video game designer whose electric car runs out of batteries in the woods. He leaves it with his daughter and wife Mary (played by Melissa McCarthy), and on the trip to get cell phone service he meets Sierra (Hope Davis, again) who ends up giving him help.
The less you know about the film the better. It unfolds its three tales-all parallel not only in actors but also in characters-and unlocks mysteries as it goes along. And its a total blast discovering all of the similarities. Ultimately August has created a worthy commentary about the creator. Reynolds goes through three types of being a creator-an actor, a writer, and a video game designer-all of which end up designing their own worlds all for themselves. Does this status as a creator make him special than all the other regular people? The film even goes so far as to saying that Reynolds is God-all of his names actually start with the letter "G"-and the Hope Davis character(s) may be Satan herself-all of her names start with the letter "S" and she is always providing the most conflict for him. The movie is loosely based on August's own struggles to get a television show on the air, so that is another clue.
Ryan Reynolds is very good here. I've always said that with better material-better than "Just Friends" and "Waiting. . ."- he could really do some good work. He has a certain amount of charisma that is rare in recent actors. And his performance really delivers, never winking at the camera and taking all his characters seriously. Hope Davis is good as usual, and Melissa McCarthy is very good as well-this is my first experience with the latter, and August was brave to use a woman that is not usually in parts like this. One of two things August does-for example having Hope Davis do a musical number-doesn't really work and seriously seems out of place. I suppose he was trying to make it even stranger, but it just didn't fit. But this is an intelligent movie without ever seeming like too much. With repeat viewings you will probably be able to connect the mystery more, but I was able to get the point. At first I thought that it was going to be a thriller in the style of "The Number 23,' but it became something more-something more relevant to life and the universe, and it really does get to you if you want to be a writer. "The Nines" is very well done and should spark long conversation after seeing it.
Playing At:
Landmark Sunshine Cinemas
posted by Eric at
6:05 PM
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