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The Nines

The Nines is a numerical title, and the movie plays out much like a giant math problem. It's complicated, hard to figure out, and provokes more questions than answers. But it is this brain-teasing quality that makes The Nines so intriguing. Instead of playing down to an audience–spelling out each underlying meaning, wrapping up loose ends, and bringing everything to an easy-to-swallow conclusion"”The Nines takes a more challenging approach. Written and directed by John August (who has penned such films as Big Fish, Go, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), this is a creative film that lets the audience think for themselves. The results may require extensive contemplation and head-scratching, but it will also provoke discussions and new thoughts.

The film begins with a shot of Ryan Reynolds braiding together three strands of green thread into a bracelet. Much like this woven bracelet he carefully knots around his arm, The Nines features three different stories intertwined to form one cohesive film. The same three actors play three different parts in each.

The first section is called "The Prisoner." Reynolds plays Gary, a self-destructive television star who's out of control behavior lands him under house arrest. His only outside contacts become his perky publicist Margaret (Gilmore Girls' Melissa McCarthy) and his seductive next-door neighbor Sarah (Hope Davis). Strange happenings in the house where he is staying soon cause him to question what is real and what is not.

The second section, entitled "Reality Television", centers around a television writer/producer named Gavin. A documentary camera crew is filming his process of getting his show on the air. Gavin gets his best friend Melissa (McCarthy, playing herself) to star in the pilot, but the ruthless T.V. exec Susan (Davis) has her own ideas for the show. This section proves to be the most compelling of the three. The idea was taken straight from John August's own personal experience with a failed television show so the whole scenario has a very authentic feel. It's a harsh look at the cruelness of the television business. The relationship between Gavin and Melissa also mirrors the real life friendship between August and McCarthy. Reynolds is the most natural in this section, showcasing his dramatic talents in a serious, emotional performance. As Gavin he gets to explore real feelings of conflict, frustration, and ultimately betrayal.

The final piece of the puzzle is a section called "Knowing" which finds a videogame designer named Gabriel (Reynolds) stuck out in the woods with his wife Mary (McCarthy) and their daughter Noelle (Elle Fanning). A run-in with a hiker named Sierra (Davis) proves to be a revelatory experience for Gabriel.

Each of these tales overlap and intersect with one another, culminating in a climax that is both

unexpected and mind-boggling. It's one of those movies you may need to see a few more times to fully understand. And even then, people will still have different opinions about its meaning. Is it religious? Philosophical? Existential? Maybe it's all of the above. Some may be put off by the film's lack of clear-cut answers (it does get a bit confusing), but others will revel in its mystery (it's fun to look for the connections in each of the three stories). What I can tell you is this: themes of a creator's relation to his creation are prevalent. Each story has Reynolds playing some type of creator: an actor creates a character, a writer creates a story, a videogame programmer creates a game. The metaphors, clues, and hints are hidden in each episodic segment.

Reynolds carries this movie beautifully, turning in three mature performances. This film is darker and more intellectual than perhaps any film he has done thus far, but it's also a great indicator at what's to come from this talented actor. McCarthy is charming in her roles as well, and it's great to see her as the lead female being that she doesn't have the conventional Hollywood "look". Here's hoping more filmmakers start thinking outside the box, opting for something more interesting than the standard skinny blonde. But then again, August has made this movie unconventional from the start in both structure and subject matter.

So just what does it all mean? That you'll have to decide for yourself.

Movie Grade: B+

Synopsis:

John August, the acclaimed screenwriter of GO, BIG FISH, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and THE CORPSE BRIDE, makes his directorial debut with THE NINES, an intricately constructed intriguing blur of reality, virtual reality and metaphysical fantasy. The film unfolds in three parts, featuring the same actors in different (and in some ways overlapping) incarnations.