Has a certain pizazz, and plenty of star wattage, but Nine never comes to life - it's only spasmodically entertaining, and if the film has anything in particular to say, it's obscured by the terribly workmanlike nature of the script and direction. Ironically, what Nine lacks more than anything else is a real vision. Marion Cotillard is the best thing about it, and everyone else does what's asked of them too (which isn't generally all that much, dramatically speaking), but it's not the kind of film that can be saved by strong performances alone.
(w/ M)
