This overreaching, Lynch-lite comic drama is the mediocre directorial debut of screenwriter John August (‘Charlie’s Angels’, ‘Big Fish’) and, if nothing else, demonstrates why some writers should stick to their laptops.
The Nines (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:58
Fresh:39
Rotten:19
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Though The Nines doesn't solidify as well as writer/director John August would hope for, Ryan Reynolds's strong performance makes each of the film's intriguing segments worth watching.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language, some drug content and sexuality.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:30-11-2007
Synopsis: John August, who has written such diverse films as GO, BIG FISH, CORPSE BRIDE, and CHARLIE'S ANGELS, makes his directorial debut with THE NINES, a complex, thought-provoking work divided into three... John August, who has written such diverse films as GO, BIG FISH, CORPSE BRIDE, and CHARLIE'S ANGELS, makes his directorial debut with THE NINES, a complex, thought-provoking work divided into three sections and featuring the same actors playing different roles, with the number nine always lurking in the background. In "The Prisoner," Ryan Reynolds plays Gary, a TV star who has been placed under house arrest after going crazy because his girlfriend dumped him. He is watched closely by Margaret (Melissa McCarthy, from THE GILMORE GIRLS), a publicist who seems to know more than she is letting on, and by neighbor Sarah (Hope Davis), who is instantly attracted to him. In "Reality Television," Reynolds is a director named Gavin who is shooting a TV pilot starring McCarthy (playing a version of herself), but he's getting mixed signals from studio executive Susan (Davis), all while being filmed for a television reality program. And in "Knowing," Reynolds is Gabriel, the character in the TV pilot that Gavin was shooting, with McCarthy playing his wife, Mary, and Davis as a mysterious stranger deciding whether she should help the family, whose car has broken down on a deserted mountain. Certain minute elements repeat in each part, giving clues as to what it's all really about as fantasy and reality intertwine. David Denman (THE OFFICE) and Elle Fanning also appear in each section, while Dahlia Salem (ER) and Ben Falcone (McCarthy's real-life husband) play themselves within fictional worlds. THE NINES is a fascinating exploration of art and character that, of course, runs 99 minutes. [More]
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy, Elle Fanning
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy, Elle Fanning, David Denman, Dahlia Salem
Director: John August
Director: John August
Screenwriter: John August
Producer: Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen, Dan Etheridge
Composer: Alex Wurman
Studio: Newmarket Films
Reviews for The Nines
It is beguilingly cuckoo, though as primitive visually as The Twilight Zone – it was shot in 22 days – and about as profound.
An intriguing post-modern take on TV, film and gaming culture, with a revelatory performance from the former Van Wilder.
An amusing journey through the nature of reality with a bit of Hinduism thrown in that sadly collapses into new-age nonsense towards the end.
Overly gimmicky and ultimately frustrating it may be, but at its best The Nines feels like a triple-bill of 'Twilight Zone' episodes written by Charlie Kaufman - creepy, oddball and clever.
Let's avoid such extremes, and note merely that he's made a film that's funny ha-ha as well as funny peculiar; an exercise in navel-gazing that tickles all the senses.
The film puts a delightful spin on that profound and solipsistic idea that we are the godlike inventors, and moral arbitrators, of our own little worlds. A gem.
Absorbing, mind-bending and thoroughly engaging mystery thriller with a superb script and terrific performances from its three leads.
With McCarthy and Davis also playing two further roles with suspiciously identical initials, The Nines toys with issues of identity, duality and alternate reality certain to appeal to anyone who's experimented with the virtual avatars of Second Life.
It is pretty familiar material in some ways, and not exactly unpretentious, but very watchable.
With an almost Donnie Darko sense of apocalyptic mystery, writer-director August really gets our heads spinning.
There are plenty of surprises in this amusing Donnie Darko-ish metaphysical thriller, but watching Van Wilder and Blade: Trinity star Ryan Reynolds flex some previously hidden acting chops is the main one.
The plot tumbles so far down the rabbit hole it breaks its leg and plunges the audience into the dark.
The movie never fails to be crisply written and cannily delivered, but it's way too steeped in TV-culture inside jokes for its own good, and August's attempts to suffuse the whole thing with ontological or theological meaning are ultimately pretty dumb.
Does not work one’s id into a tizzy in the manner that Lynch’s Mulholland Drive or Ozon’s Swimming Pool, two films that bear loose association, do.
The cosmic "resolution" that ties the stories together proves less interesting than the stories themselves.
I have no clue whether this is the most religious film of the year, or the most blasphemous film of the year.
Latest News for The Nines
September 07, 2007:
Director's Commentary: Not Just for DVDs Anymore?
If you've ever sat in a darkened theater and thought to yourself "What this movie really needs is a commentary track," CHUD has some excellent news for you. More...
August 22, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
July 23, 2007:
The Nines as a movie is ultimately everything but, to say the least. ![]()
More...
January 23, 2007:
Sundance: "Hounddog" Is A Dog; "The Nines" Scores High
Read on for some short reviews of films playing at Sundance: "Hounddog," starring Dakota Fanning, is a cliched stab at Southern Gothic with echoes of Faulkner, and... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

