Nine Lives | Elpidia Carrillo, Aomawa Baker | superb journey through subtle interconnections

Nine Lives | Elpidia Carrillo, Aomawa Baker | Raw. Real. An unexplored, but captivating perspective.

DVDs:

Nine Lives

	Nine Lives Elpidia Carrillo, Aomawa Baker Sony Pictures, 2006 average customer review:based on 41 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

superb journey through subtle interconnections

This is not a coherent novelistic film with a linear story line, but a kind of intersection of lives through people who have some contact. The acting is absolutely wonderful and believable, bringing raw emotion in the way that only film can. It is like a long tapas meal with multiple friends dropping by to share, enjoyable yet sometimes disagreeable. There are so many allusions unexplained, which the viewer can try to connect - it just begs for reviewing. I loved every minute of it and felt deeply moved by the realism. I also barely noticed the technique of a continuous shot for each segment, which means it succeeds unobtrusively.

Warmly recommended.

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Raw. Real. An unexplored, but captivating perspective.

The one-take approach to the scenes in Nine Lives adds to the realistic feel of every moment - the awkward silence, the uncomfortable situation, the unromantic but essential part of love. Each 'life' engages the viewer, pulls you into a very private moment you won't find unfamiliar. That familiarity makes the raw unveiling of emotion so powerful in Nine Lives. You become the 'fly on the wall,' mesmerized by what you see and hear. The actors, production, writing and cinematography are superb. The simple but not-so-simple camera work add to the unique feel of the film. A must-see. I can't compare it to anything I've ever seen.

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Intense.......

I thought for each woman's story to be 10 minutes @ most, the actresses really got across the gist of what was going on in their lives and the emotion that came along with it. It was as if you walked in on the middle of a conversation ans was able to tell what happened by everyone's actions in the room. I say "Bravo" to each skit!

Nine vivid vignettes

I love short stories. I read a lot of them and write a few as well. The beauty of a short story lies in its ability to connect with the reader in such a raw manner. There are hardly buildups or character definitions. The length of a short story does not allow this luxury. The author should be able to strike that chord with the reader in those brief pages. And there in lies, both the beauty and the challenge of a good short story.

You must be wondering why I am talking about short stories in a movie review. Well, this movie is just that. A collection of nine vignettes portraying women of different age, backgrounds and lifestyle. As the saying goes "the apple does not fall far from the tree". Rodrigo Garcia is the son of the legendary Colombia writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Am a huge fan). Marquez is an absolute genius when it comes to the portrayal of human emotions. Rodrigo Garcia is just as accomplished. But film is his chosen medium of expression.

The movie boasts of an incredible cast of actors including Robin Wright-Penn, Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning and more. Each of them appear in a vignette which captures a slice of their life. In each of those short 10-15 minutes Rodrigo Garcia manages to say more than what most movies do in their entire length.

The 'nine lives' portrayed in it share a beautiful undertone of poignancy. It is that what makes us feel connected with each of these characters.

My favorite one among these was the one with Robin Wright-Penn. Ms Penn is one of those actresses who make acting seem so easy (She has one of the best smiles ever). There never a hint of strain or rehearsal.

The clip shows Ms Penn, a married and pregnant woman, running into her ex-lover at a grocery store (Reminded me of the Dan Fogelberg song "Same Auld Lang Syne"). The subtle nature in which Ms Penn portrays a woman trying to hold back a flood of emotions and trying to act coy, is outstanding. She uses all her elements to convey the turmoil which the character is going through. Whether it is the quickly diverted glance or the measured sentences, it leaves us with a heavy heart.

Rest of the 'lives' range from a teenage girl who is the bridge between her at loggerheads parents, to the woman who is petrified of her operation. These vignettes (I love this word) capture the different shades of a woman in a manner which very few have.

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Nine sad and inconclusive stories. I found them all depressing.

This 2005 film includes nine different vignettes. All of them are about turning points in women's lives. There's some star power here including Glenn Close, Dakola Fanning and Holly Hunter and the acting is excellent

Each story is short, to the point, and inconclusive. They also all have an aura of sadness and loss. Yes, the technical aspects of this film are good and the concept is interesting. But, frankly, I don't like short stories. Even in my reading experiences I usually go for a long, well developed work. Some of the characters in one story do appear in a minor role in another. But this just seems like a trick for device.

All the stories have emotional impact but frankly I found them depressing. Therefore, I can't recommend this to anyone but the most dedicated film buff.

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