Nine - 1 frown

“Nine,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, received a lot of hype before it opened. Unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to that hype even with a skilled actor like Day-Lewis, who, by the way, is miscast here. And there’s no story in Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella’s script. In fact, the narrative sections feel like they’re there to move our focus from one production number to the next. Each of the women in Guido’s (Day-Lewis) life enters, talks about her life, performs a song, and then fades away. While some of the numbers are effective: Penelope Cruz’s sensuality in “A Call from the Vatican,” Judy Dench’s surprising oomph in “Follies Bergere” and Fergie’s brassy turn as a whore who urges the adolescent Guido to “Be Italian,” others are not. And Day-Lewis’s singing skill is merely acceptable. Since the songs are more ornamental than integral to the story, what do you have? You’ve got a famous Italian director who’s facing a crisis with both his artistic career and his personal life. But neither Day-Lewis nor director Rob Marshall creates any reason for us to care about Guido. “Nine” is going on my list of 10 Worst Movies of 2009. 12/25/09