the nines is a largely neglected drama that comes from the prose of a considerably overlooked writer. john august has penned many a modern classic, including tim burtons charlie and the chocolate factory, the corpse bride, big fish, and even the wildly adventurous titan a.e. with the nines, august had his chance to not only compose a superior simplistic production but also had the chance to conduct it as well.
the film stars a small cast which is nice to see in days of late. ryan reynolds [just friends, amityville horror], hope davis [proof, the matador], melissa mccarthy [gilmore girls] and elle fanning [babel and sister to dakota fanning] round out the main personae and they are realistically all that’s needed. august keeps the production uncluttered, which becomes a pleasant present later on, as the story gets more complicated, the presentation is very stable and simple to follow.
reynolds and most all the other main players portray more than one figure in the film, rounding out at three characters per actor/actress. reynolds is a personal favorite and does nothing to deviate from the norm. his performance is the essential and central act and he plays it off perfectly. the movie is broken into three acts and reynolds is the lead performer all three times; once as an actor, again as a screenwriter, and lastly a videogame designer. the plot seems elementary at first glance but with every act it gets more abstruse as it plays out.
august does a superfluous first job in the directorial chair and is visually refreshing. each act is done in a different format; the first a standard movie, the second from a reality show perspective, and the last in a blue overtone, but each piece has the same formula. reynolds is a considerably normal person that starts experiencing bizarre things. by the end of each routine you find yourself asking “what the fuck?”. this, however, is not a problem, for the film forms together neatly at the end, like a rubiks cube you’ve spent about two hours on.
to put it simply, the movie is a nice break from the standard criterion, and plays out smoothly with no hitches. unlike other abstract and peculiar playacts, their are no unanswered questions in this movie. august does a great job as does every actor involved in the project. also, since the acts are brief and simple, the movie has a lucid pace that makes nothing drag.
bottom line: rent the movie and watch it. make sure you aren’t distracted during it because it’s not that simple. it could easily become a cult classic and is a great portrayal of reynolds versatility. it’s a great little flick that was largely overlooked by the general populous.
the movie is comparable to: identity or vanilla sky [but only subtly], a play, a new and fresh experience that is easily lovable to the constant moviegoer.
Robot vs. Zombie 
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