Nine Lives (2005)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The Nine Lives is a memorable movie. The powerful images it presents will keep circulating in your mind for some time. However, if I try to dig deeper into the imagery, I find very little what I could call 'profound'. The lives and situations that the film presents are just too mundane.Garcia tells us 9 short stories of ordinary people and he tells it with style. The camera work is stunning and effective at the same time - I read about it before I saw the film - I was afraid it would be a gimmick, but I was really impressed. The acting is probably the most important part of the film. It's what carries the film and makes it so memorable. However the situations themselves, while emotionally charged through the top notch acting and the direction, are just banal. People not getting over old relationships for years, people disagreeing, people living their lives. Some may enjoy watch a sketch of ordinary lives of ordinary people. For me it was simply not interesting enough. I am already living an ordinary life and I don't need to go to the movies to watch people disagreeing and people crying over their ex-es.

To think that this movie was not recognized by any bigger award nominations is astounding. The fact that this movie was not recognized or more popular nationally is heartbreaking. EVERY single actress and actor in this movie gave amazing performances. The audience felt the emotion in every single second, and it is a great testament to all of their talents. Sadly, many people will overlook this movie just because it wasn't popular. Words cannot describe the power and ache this movie leaves you feeling. You are saddened and left wanting more, and it is a great attribute of the film. You get just enough of a glimpse to understand these people, but you are still wondering more about each character as the movie progresses. I was blown away. This movie was written so wonderfully and you can feel the heart that was put into making it as well. This movie is a great representation of everyday struggles that women face, the heartache and the sadness that many have to deal with. It was so moving and just a great movie to watch and interpret. Leaves you thinking... GREAT!

Nine Lives (2005) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia's tale of nine women and their nine stories is certainly a unique film but I'm not quite sure about the payoff. I think a second viewing is going to be needed because I felt the film started to get a bit long because after six or seven of the nine stories I started to think about the earlier stories conclusions, which made the current stories seem to drag. In the end there wasn't any conclusions so perhaps I just missed something. Either way, I'll view this again at a later date. Even with that said this is a highly interesting and brilliantly directed piece that should be seen by any movie fan. The performances by the ensemble cast is downright terrific. Kathy Baker, Robin Wright Penn, Amy Brenneman, Glenn Close, Sissy Spacek, Dakota Fanning, Joe Mantegna and Aidan Quinn are just some of the names here doing great work. Those I didn't mention were also great. The real star was Wright Penn who delivers the best work of her career. I did love the fact that the stories were told in real time without any edits.

Nine Lives is a moving and mostly realistic drama set within the lives of nine different women. I didn't know what to expect when I rented it from Blockbuster, but I was very surprised, it is sad, but also very affecting.All of the actresses put in memorable performances, namely Holly Hunter, Robin Wright Penn, and Glenn Close. Hunter plays a woman with a jerk boyfriend who can be a prick to her sometimes. Penn plays Diana, who meets her old lover, Damian (Jason Isaacs) whom she should never have separated from. And Glenn Close plays an older woman who has a picnic in a cemetery with her daughter (Dakota Fanning).It is a film I will not soon forget, and I am glad to have rented it.3.5/4