DVD Review: The Nines

By Frankie Dees Jan 30, 2008, 12:39 GMT

The Nines consists of three short films, each featuring the same actors in different — and sometimes overlapping — roles. Together, three stories form a single narrative that explores the relationships between author and character, actor and role, creator and creation. Alternately funny and unsettling, The Nines is like a riddle where the answer is the question: "How does it all add up?" "The Prisoner" tells the story of a ...more

Long-time screenwriter, first-time director John August delivers a ambitious, maybe too ambitious, mind-bender of a movie that would fit comfortably between the works of Charlie Kaufman and the new-age phooey of ‘What the bleep do we know?’.

This flick is obviously an answer to a more personal screenwriting itch that his big studio endeavors couldn’t scratch – August-penned flicks like Tim Burton’s ‘Big Fish’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and ‘Go’ bear little resemblance to the puny, confused world that August creates for ‘The Nines’ – a metaphysical pretzel that will either confound, frustrate or delight viewers, possibly all three, as such was the case for me.

The film is told with a trio of vignettes that are connected in both vague and obvious ways. Ryan Reynolds plays our existential-muddled protagonist Gary, Gavin and Gabriel in the respective three episodes. In the first chapter ‘The Prisoner’, Gary is a young TV actor who goes on a crazed crack-addled bender only to find himself on house arrest being baby-sat by his motor-mouthed publicist (Melissa McCarthy) and being slowly drawn into the web of the lonely housewife (Hope Davis) next door. Strange hallucinations concerning the number nine haunt his every step. Why?

The next episode ‘Reality Television’ stars Gavin, a TV show creator and star of his own ‘Project Greenlight’-like reality show where the cameras follow him around to get the lowdown on his new show, the star of which is his longtime friend Melissa McCarthy (playing herself – her role in ‘Gilmore Girls is referenced).

When a network suit (Hope Davis) suggests he needs a new lead to satisfy low screening scores, Gavin fights for Melissa but has little choice but to drop her for a skinnier, prettier version. This final confrontation between Gavin and Melissa cultivates in a neat little twist that nicely segue ways into our next episode.

‘Knowing’, the name of Gavin’s supernatural show btw, has videogame designer Gabriel, his wife Mary (McCarty) and their mute daughter (Elle Fanning) on a hike in what looks like the hills of Malibu. Returning to their car, they find the battery dead so Gabriel volunteers to go get help. Things take a quick turn to crazy town, however, when he meets up with fellow hiker Sierra (Davis) and a resolution that offers up more questions than answers.

Resolution and coherence is not the film’s strongpoint to be sure as the film is more concerned with the old adage ‘not about the destination but the journey itself’ where ideas are imposed that August has no desire to answer – which is not to say that there aren’t answers if you look hard enough.

Besides the obvious implications of the closing scenes, one might have to scrutinize a bit to get a few more answers. Needless to say, the giddy conceit boils down to questions about creationism and a broad stab at theology. Perfect for the kiddies, eh?

Reynolds is surprisingly competent in the three roles and shows that he has some genuine skill that his frat-boy pics like ‘Van Wilder’ and ‘Waiting’ never really showed. His offbeat casting ended up being spot-on but the lack of any real theatrical release may well have been because arthouse crowds may never have gotten past his name thinking it another one of his lame broad comedies.

Presented in anamorphic widescreen, special features start off with two audio commentaries. One with writer/director John August and Ryan Reynolds and one with August, editor Douglas Crise and actress Melissa McCarthy. Easy listens but don’t expect much answers from August.

Deleted Scenes and an alternate ending, ‘Script to Storyboard to Screen’, and a 15-minute making of ‘Summing up ‘The Nines’’ that actually offers up some real info. ‘God’ is August’s 11-minute short back from ’98 starring McCarthy that served as a sort of inspiration for ‘The Nines’. A photo slideshow and numerous trailers round out the package.

It’s a peculiar picture no doubt about it and although it’s not quite as slick as say ‘Being John Malkovich’, ‘Adaptation’ or ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, there’s a lot to like here if you like your narrative in the form of an impenetrable puzzler, a mind-bender that doesn’t supply all the answers and has no interest in doing so.

A slightly tighter script wouldn’t have hurt but the flick is nevertheless a unique experience and sometimes unique is enough.

The Nines is now available at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a March 24th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.