NINE

Just got home from seeing this film.... been waiting for NINE with bated breath ever since I so the first PREVIEWS a few months back.... what a cast and helmed by the same director of CHICAGO -- so right away one has HIGH HOPES... not to mention, the fact that I had seen the play many years ago with Mr Antonio Banderas in it and loved it... so am a bit familiar with the songs....

okay, i think you all know where am going with this one... Yes, I was a bit disappointed.... not that it is BAD... it was NOT... actually the production numbers are pretty good... the actors - every single one of them did well with their parts and musical numbers.... most exceptional for me is Penelope Cruz... I did not even know she could dance and sing -- another well deserved Oscar Nomination,as her part was much more developed and explored -- and she did it all oh-so-seductively!.... Fergie in her little role still stood out... truly a belter!!! and Kate Hudson's number was KICKY FUN... was also a TREAT to see Sophia Loren up in the big screen.... and what can one say about Daniel Day Lewis and Dame Judi Dench - they are actors ALL THE WAY!!!

Having Nicole Kidman as the director's muse could not have been any more RIGHT on... she is as luminous as ever..... SADLY, and this is one of the biggest DISAPPOINTED for me, her song was cut up by intertwining it with dialogues -- which is a bit annoying through most of the musical numbers.... unlike CHICAGO, one does not get to witness the musical numbers as they should have been - to the fullest... most especially, Nicole's lament to a love that never saw its fruition number... a wonderful, subtle, and emotional ballad - and actually my FAVE song from the musical... by cutting back & forth between the song and the dialogues - it lost it's EMOTIONAL IMPACT....

So, though it was entertaining to see the wonderful cast in the musical... see beautiful parts of Italy.... and see another Broadway Musical get a movie treatment - am afraid the movie, as a whole just did not do it for me... Still, it is always GREAT to see Musical Numbers in the big screen as they are meant to be seen... afterwards, just go on YOU TUBE and watch & enjoy each of the numbers, in full, again and again...