Singin' In The Rain (1952) / Nine (2009)

Yet another film which disproves my "I hate musicals" stance. 

The story itself is a fun romp through early sound cinema and an irreverent look at the movie industry. I love that Gene Kelly's character is such a bad actor - he can sing, he can dance, but he doesn't act because he doesn't have to. And his critic, Kathy, is no better - she disdains movies for the stage but works as a dancing girl.

The music is classic, from the eponymous tune to all the rest. It's infectious to the point that I did a tiny bit of dancing on my walk home from Cineworld's special screening. (This said, one number, the fantasy film scene, dragged on somewhat, and was surplus to the story.)

And another musical, which very much confirms my distaste for the genre.

Nine is certainly not a terrible film - it is very, very good looking, in its cinematography and its cast. Italy is beautiful and so are the the Italians (not that many of the actors are portraying their own nationalities, but I've never let facts get in the way of a good sentence) and you can't move for frilly, lacey, corsetty ensembles or sharp, skinny-tied suits.

But all this is just surface and unfortunately there's very little substance underneath. Guido is a suffering artist who obviously needs to get his act together, and the women around him have no existence outside of validating his own.

Daniel Day Lewis is lovely, as always - I've never seen him in a dancing role before but it's obvious he has the necessaries, even if his singing is somewhat lacking. The Women (Kate Hudson, Fergie, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, phew!) are mixed, with my favourite singer strangely Hudson. Judi Dench, fabulous as she is, can't sing in a French accent.

There are a few real moments however, such as when Louisa watches the other actress's screen tests or when Claudia refuses to be the woman behind a man, saying "I'd rather be the man", which manage to get beyond surface froth but they're sadly overwhelmed. The way they separate the singing from the action, using the set of the film Guido is supposed to be making, is nice, especially at the end when the cast of his life assemble behind him as he embarks on the next phase of his life.

Also, the editing of the dance sequences served the ADHD desire for fresh angles rather than the dancing. It's characteristic of director Rob Marshall, whose previous work includes Chicago, which cuts for every foot tap.

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