The Nines on DVD (2007)

Watch for the nines!

Meako [Highly rated reviewer] , 26/12/2007

With the writer of Big Fish and Go behind the lens, it was obvious this was going to be a film that plays with the audience. With Ryan Reynolds playing a man who finds that reality isn't all that real when he is placed under house arrest in, what seems like, a haunted property. To tell more would be to spoil the surprises the film throws out, but rest assured that you will go from confusion, to captivation, to bewilderment, to enlightenment as the film progresses. All ends wrap up nice by the end, and Reynolds delivers some great performances (yes, plural - you will understand when you see it), showing his versatility as an actor is growing. Not for everyone, however, and many will give up after the first act. Those who stick around will find a treat of a film.

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what a waste of life

A customer from Liverpool , 23/04/2008

Do not watch this film and make the same mistake i did. This is the first review of a film i have ever written as I felt obliged by a feeling of social responsibility to ensure other people do not suffer like i have done.

My girlfriend fell asleep while watching it with me. At the end she asked me what happened. I was lost for words...

The start of the film is quite promising, maybe even a little intriguing, it then becomes quite annoying when it doesn't make any sense whatsoever but you perservere with it expecting the plot to gradually unravel before ending in some mind blowingly clever way that makes it all worthwhile. It doesn't..!

It becomes more and more random and stupid before ending with a conclusion that is beyond the realms of absolute garbage. A sickening feeling inside you wells up as you realise thats 2 hours of your life gone forever, wasted, robbed from you by a script writer who must have been close to overdosing on drugs when he wrote it...

Its fair to say i don't recommend this......!!

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What was the message of this film?

CheekyBum from Biggleswade [Highly rated reviewer] , 14/02/2008

Was very slow in the beggining and the ending is weird.

I gave 3 stars only for good acting of Ryan Reynolds.

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Strange

jimmybhoyd from Ayrshire [Highly rated reviewer] , 06/04/2008

Was expecting a really good movie particularly as a fan of Ryan Reynolds, however this film was very strange and to be honest a waste of a good couple of hours.

This film surrounds three short stories which come together at the end of the film which finally ties up a very confusing story. I have given this two stars as the acting in the film was pretty good, the story writers however need to have a talking with themselves over this one. Like I say by the end of the third story you will understand what has been going on. However for almost two hours I was watching the first two stories thinking what the hell to myself the whole time.

Ryan Reynolds is a great actor and the lead actresses in the film deserve recognition too but all of their talents would have gone to better use with a decent script. Reynolds should likely stick to comedy which he does best rather than going with artistic films.

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A bit of effort reaps rewards

JoelC from Glasgow , 21/08/2008

I saw this film during its 'blink-and-you-miss-it' cinematic run. Like its spiritual forebearer 'Donnie Darko', this was always going to have limited initial appeal in the cinema, particularly in today's climate of mass media saturation; it remains to be seen if it achieves that film's cult success on DVD.

As with Donnie Darko (and to a limited extent, 'The Truman Show'), this is another example of the 'Metaphysical Concept Movie' sub-genre. With that in mind, its not going to be appreciated by everyone and was probably never intended to. The acid test would be: if you like your films to have an obvious beginning, middle and end, with as little ambiguity or nuance as possible, where you know in advance exactly how you are going to feel by the end of the film, then this is definitely not for you.

It will, however, probably appeal to fans of 'intelligent' SF, particularly those who admire the paranoid works of author Philip K. Dick. If you are the kind of viewer who doesn't mind putting in a bit of effort and can deal with a non-linear narrative structure, you will be rewarded with a little gem of a film.

I will leave the synopsis to others - suffice to say, the film takes the form of 3 separate chapters, which may or may not be related, using the same actors in different roles. As for the performances, Ryan Reynolds in the lead role(s) is an absolute revelation. I'll be honest; given his previous incarnation as 'Van Wilder: Party Liasion', I didn't hold much faith in him carrying this film but he aquits himself very successfully. The other leads (generally unknowns) perform well.

Its not without its flaws by any means. The 'big' reveal at the end is not quite as novel an idea as perhaps the writer thinks it is; if you watch carefully, you can probably figure it out beforehand if you are familiar with this sort of literary territory. Some of the dialogue at points can be a bit creaky and you can almost see the budget limitations seeping through the edge of the frame - the film comes over at points as a little bit 'hand-knitted'. That said, what you have is a well presented, thought provoking and entertaining piece of cinema; well worth a rental for the narratively adventurous among you.

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More than just a 9 for me - 10/10

ktdude from Newcastle upon tyne, UK , 18/08/2008

Gloriously baffling, twisting, intricate, vast, mesmeric, playful, frustrating. Just a few of the words I would use to describe this little gem of a film - I saw it by chance as a trailer to another film I rented and was intrigued - to say I got more than I bargained for would be selling it short.

You have to be prepared to be confused - so if you only like films that lay the plot out for you on a plate, just don't bother. Sometimes I like a film that makes everything plain, but a film like this is so much more thrilling for me. A rollercoaster ride of inter-weaving narratives and intertwined characters make for a kaleidoscopic effect, dazzling in its scope and hugely surprising in that despite the weirdness of it all, it actually works beautifully, coming together exactly where you need it to and yet still leaving so much open to the imagination. It could have been a mess in the hands of another director, especially considering the lack of a proven all- star cast, but each of the actors works perfectly in the roles cast for them, no-one steals the limelight, it's a perfect ensemble.

All in all, this was my kind of film - and by that I mean, I absolutely loved it. Can you tell?

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