User Reviews

The Nines tells three short stories, the first of about an actor who is under house arrest after flipping over his car, the second is about a writer who's pilot TV show is in jeopardy and the last deals with a video game designer lost in the woods after his car breaks down. All three stories are told with the same actors.

When I first heard about The Nines, everyone was raving about how original it was and how it was like nothing they have ever seen before. So obviously it peeked my interest. After finally watching the film, I can see where it gets it's praise, but don't fully understand why it's getting so much of it. Yes, The Nines is original and keeps you guessing until the very end, but the pay off isn't as good as the rest of the film.

This is John August's directorial debut, if you don't know who August is, he's the writer of such films like Big Fish, Corpse Bride and Go. The Nines is another impressive entry to his already good resume. It seems that August was confident enough to tackle this big project. I applaud him ambitions. He didn't fail by any means, but he didn't blow me away either. It is always a love hate relationship when the writer is the director. When it works, you get Pulp Fiction, when it doesn't you get Blade Trinity. When the writer is the director, he knows exactly what he wants, he knows the characters inside out and how to bring everything together. The Nines doesn't seem to fall into either category, it seems to sit on the fence.

Ryan Reynolds proves again that he has more range then people give him credit for. He might have painted himself into a corner with Van Wilder and Waiting, but he seems to be slowly breaking free of it. He showed range at the very end of Smoking Aces and in the recent rom com Definitely Maybe. With The Nines he again proves why he is underestimated and will bring greater things in the future. Reynolds plays the lead in all three shorts. We see him as a crack addicted actor, gay writer and family man video game designer. While he doesn't blow you away with his performance, he does manage to capture you and bring you along for the ride from start to finish.

Hope Davis appears here in a supporting role, again playing three different characters in all three shorts. She manages to get so much across the screen by doing so little. A look here or move there and you know exactly what she is thinking. Melissa McCarthy plays herself in one segment, I think she had the hardest job. She has to be bubbly, scared, mean and informative.

The three segments are all shot differently. The first segment, titled The Prisoner, showcases bright reds and yellows and was shot on 16mm. The second segment, titles reality television is shot on video. The entire segment plays out like a reality TV show as we follow Gavin (reynolds) and his troubles in trying to get his pilot on air. The third and final segment, titled Knowing, is darker and shot on 35mm. The third segment has the same title as the pilot that Gavin in the second segment is writing. Even the same events take place. Without giving too much away, all three segment interconnect with each other. But not exactly in a way you want or think.

If you are confused after watching the film, join the club. I knew what happened and sort of got some things, but had to read up on it to see what others thought to finally connect the dots. The films does a very good job of teasing the viewer with bits of information and bringing them along asking questions left right and centre. As the film concludes you sit there wondering if you are satisfied or not. I still do not know really. I like the idea behind the film and the presentation was nice, but the way they dragged us along seemed like it would amount to something bigger, something deeper, something more then what we are ultimately given.

The film doesn't answer everything and it doesn't need to. It's a film that leaves it's answers up to the viewer, to make whatever assumptions they want. But even this isn't satisfying enough. I guess because all the hype I head prior, I expected more. If you go into it not knowing anything about it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

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 will not spoil the movie for anyone. I watched this film last night. This is a film that is worth renting and watching. It has a Donnie Darko flavor to it and is very interesting. The script is solid and very intelligent, as well as the acting. There are three different movies all linking up into one movie about creation in my opinion. All three films contain the same characters, it is just that the roles interchange and do not make sense until the end of the movie. The film begins as almost a comedy and turns into a thriller so just be aware of this and do not get turned off too early. I give this a 7 (as opposed to 9) for a truly unique film with a solid cast. This one is worth renting.

This movies suffers from one major flaw, it goes from being a really good movie to a really bad movie and back again. During the times when this movie was good was when it wasn't trying too hard to explain things. However when the explanations come, the movie becomes a exercise in patronization. Apart from these flaws and a musical number during the first act in the film, this film is pretty good. Sometimes I think these type of movies are made for the purpose of making people feel more intellectual than they really are. Nonlinear mysterious stories such as this one deserve more than what this movie has to offer. This movie had so much potential and in the end I'm left wondering what might of been.

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.

There have always been people how want really badly to be artists but being aware they are not blessed with sufficient amount of true inspiration they all fall to the same old strategy: if I make something without any point what so ever people will think they are stupid for not seeing the (missing) point, will be embarrassed to admit it and will pretend my work is a masterpiece.

Dear Author, please do go through the history of art. From all those pieces, defying oblivion for hundreds and thousands of years, there is not a single one whose value cannot be recognized by literally everyone regardless of culture, education, upbringing. A true piece of art does not have to be liked by everybody but it "speaks" to everybody whatever may be the level of their understanding, evokes emotions (good or bad it doesn't matter) and demands respect. The only feeling a true piece of art does not leave a single consumer with is - waste of time.

And so eager to be original... You either are or not. If you have to think real hard to come up with something "different" just accept it - you are not.

Yet among all that hard thinking a "masterpiece metaphor": numbers floating above people's heads, 9 literally bigger than 7s... What was that!?!?!? Just... what...

That said, hats off to Hope Davis, Ryan Reynolds and Melissa McCarthy. It's far easier to prove yourself in a good movie with a strong story than in this... Good good work!!!

It's interesting that you some people thought this got worse as it got along, because it was the absolute opposite for me. I thought the first part was a little dull but I was hooked in by the end of it and I only got more and more curious as the film went on. John August did a very impressive job here as writer/director, successfully making three sections distinct in tone and character while also having them work together as a collective whole. This was helped by a superb performance from Ryan Reynolds, who crafted three individual characters who all felt genuine and unique, while also having them be believable as one primal being. The film as a whole was wildly entertaining and contained some very intriguing messages about identity, obsession, power and spirituality. The connections through the stories craft a wonderful puzzle, constantly having you wonder what's actually going on and what it all means.

One of the more surprising things after seeing the film, for me, was that people seem to be so confused by it. Again, going the opposite way, I found the film to be a great puzzle but the "what it all means" scene was actually too laid out. I think the whole exposition scene giving us all the answers really spoon-fed the audience and that the film would have benefited more by not giving us the answers so plainly. I've seen a decent amount of people complaining about how confusing it all is, but one of my few complaints is how plainly and easily it was explained in the end. Because for the most part it was a unique, intelligent and very mind-bending puzzle.

Gary (Ryan Reynolds) is a troubled actor who plays a cop on the TV show Crim9 Lab. While on crack, he crashes his car. His perky publicist Margaret (Melissa McCarthy) takes care of him while he's under house arrest. He gets involved with his Canadian next door neighbor Sarah (Hope Davis). He leaves his house and meets deaf little girl Noelle (Elle Fanning) at a bus stop but then she disappears. Strange things keep happening and there is something about him belonging to the Nines. Then Part One ends and Part Two Reality Television begins where the actors play different characters.

The first part has some interesting surreal aspects. It suggests a pretty weird but compelling story. It lacks the surreal visual style to match but some of that is the everyday problem of the low budget indie. Then the second part of the movie comes and the story stumbles. The disruption is too much. The third part starts off with some interest because its title is Knowing. However the explanation is too convoluted to understand or even to follow. I question whether it's even understandable. This is John August trying to write like Charlie Kaufman. He fumbles the ball which the director John August had no chance of recovering.

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.

This is a must watch for the fans of David Lynch. There are enough enigmas within enigmas to reel your mind. It starts with a troubled actor, played with Ryan Reynolds being sentenced to house arrest. There are two other characters. One is Melissa, his publicist. The second is Hope Davis, his sexy neighbor. He slowly begins to realize that something is wrong. The segment ends on a mysterious note. Then the second part begins with Reynolds essaying the role of a TV show writer/creator wherein he again encounters the same characters essaying different roles. The last segment has him playing a video game designer. All the three segments are related to each other in "deeply mysterious" ways. There are hints given about number nine and the connection of Ryan to the number. I can't help but marvel about Reynolds' acting prowess. With the awesome Buried and this he has totally broken through the facade of an actor who could do only vulgar comedy. Hope Davis and Melissa, particularly the latter, are very impressive. The direction by August is good and the viewer is hooked till the end. The movie falters a bit at the denouement but still the viewing experience is above average. 3 out of 5 for the Nines.

If the whole point of that movie was to leave you in the dark, it certainly did its job. When I saw it on netflix with the great cast that it has I was excited for it! But it just seems like this movie doesn't know what it wants to be! It starts out a drug like hallucination, then starts of in the comedy direction. It gets a little horror movie, a little scifi and none were really that enjoyable. The whole world of this movie was just confusing and rather overwhelming. Not one that brings whimsy to your mind or makes you want to jump in. It doesn't really give a point of why we should care for this protagonist at all either. This movie just did not have me interested, though it seems like it would have a better premise as a novel.

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.

Alright so I was not sure whether I should watch it as the rating in both IMDb and metacritic was bit low but after watching it I can see it is a bit underrated since this movie is quite good and definitely worth your time. So the movie actually consists of three short stories but they are all somehow linked. It gets a bit confusing after you get into the second story and then it gets interesting as you are constantly trying to make sense of it. I wont get into it further as I want you to explore it for yourself. But I do believe at the end you may find it a bit disappointing as did I as I wanted something more. But all in all a good movie in my opinion.

I'd rather call this movie a piece of art rather than a movie (not that movies are not art, but you get my idea). Throughout the entire movie, it feels ass if the director is trying to put up a piece of crafty art for the general public, but I must say that that the final product is a bit too crafty for my liking.

For three quarter of the movie, I'm left wondering what the heck on Earth is this movie all about. The story is really slow and feels draggy. There are parts where I feel is redundant and the reason it is there is just to make the audience more confused. It feels as though the director is deliberately leading the audience round and round the bush just for the fun of it. There are many times where I felt like just shutting the movie off. It is only at the end of the movie where you get to understand the essence of the movie, but I cannot say that it left me with a satisfied feeling.

Don't get me wrong, I am not the kind who hates to use my head. In fact, I'm all for movies that forces me to use my 'little grey cells' and I usually pride myself as one of those who can understand a complex movie before my friends and family but to me, this just isn't one of them. There is just no way for you to make sense out of the movie in the first 3 quarter of the movie. It kind of left me dry as I kept trying to figure out what the hell is going on. The way the movie is renditioned is too convoluted, and it feels as if the director's main aim of this movie is to display how creative and uncontemporary he can be. I do appreciate art to a certain extent, but I think this movie took it a bit too far. There's not really a main message to convey throughout the movie, and the plot is just there to propel the movie, instead of the other way round.

If you're the type that likes to see uncontemporary films, this might be the movie for you.

I rated this a 6 because:

PROS:

• Great piece of art, unconventional

• Audience are given an answer for most of the mystery at the end

CONS:

• Too artsy, feels as if art comes above everything else

• Can't say that I'm totally satisfied at the end, although I get the general plot

• Audience is left confused too long, story is draggy for some part

At one time I thought "Oh, dear, not another You-are-dead-but-you-don't-know-yet movie". And it came pretty close. Of course, it was another ridiculous explanation for it all, but the pretext was rather elaborate and the script thought through. Some of the symbolism of the movie was deep as well.

Alas, the delivery was totally boring. Except the scenes with the writer trying to get his pilot series accepted, most of the film had no emotional content. Or rather, less than expected. Like an "Uncanny valley" of emotion.

Bottom line: I found the message to be interesting, the way in which describes the wrongness of the world, without actually making the movie about it, a bit like The Matrix, but you have to be in the mood and even then you will probably consider it a tad too lengthy.

I gave 3 stars because the actors did an exceptional job with a tedious story that could only be interesting to the writer. It meanders and lags often and leaves you with only an expressionless "huh". It feels insulting that the writer and directors respect their audience so little they don't even try to engage them. As much as I respect the work that goes into any production, The Nines disappoints on so many levels: transitions, interest, a point; it makes the viewer feel like you are grasping for any semblance of a point to hold on to to make it through the movie. My only question post viewing is how in the world did this get past script reviews and the almost insurmountable approval process to actually get produced with amazing actors? Statistically speaking this film is an anomaly for which I should have given one extra star.

Ryan Reynolds is a complete surprise! It's funny, back when he first appeared I would never have guessed his full potential. I penned him as a nice looking action hero/comedian. But at every turn he tries something different and succeeds each time.

The Nines gives Reynolds the chance to show his chops as a dramatic and comedic actor. Melissa McCarthy is adorable as always, but, gets to play out a dimension of her acting we haven't seen yet either.

It's is a good film, but, it does have flaws. At times it can be too quirky and mellow dramatic, but, in the end it helps more than it hurts.

The acting is solid. The story is interesting (strange as it may be at times). But, the end is what seals the deal, it changes everything in a good way. That said, don't quit half way. In a Hollywood that packs too many twists into there movies, this is one film in which they work.

Plot:

A TV actor (Ryan Reynolds) goes on a bender before crashing his car after smoking crack with a hooker. Under house arrest, he hears noises and sees hallucinations that suggest a haunting. However, the truth is much stranger, and a portal to other dimensions is opened...

My Review:

The Nines is a more poetic version that questions Humanities existence. It is another startling and perhaps more original idea that bares the likeness of M Night Shyamalan or whatever his name is. It begs to answer on its own accord the simplest questions, like "What is going on? Why are we here? We've all thought these things?" providing an answer to our own inadequate answers.

Science Fiction fans will love this, with that in mind it has a beautiful intrinsic idea behind everything (literally everything) that seems to glimmer with its own inner-self incandescence. Mixes and mingles parables and plethoras of edgy indie realism with bizarre metaphysical surrealism, providing much needed provocation and genuine food for thought.

Verdict:

A well-cooked and interesting piece of 90 minute cinema. 8/10.