Wisely keeping her distance, Cotillard mostly lurks along the sidelines projecting a wounded visage, before finally stepping into the spotlight for the movie's single moment of emotional sincerity. It's the only point at which Nine seems more than a total zero.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New Yorker by Anthony Lane
One is forced to ask: who wants to make, or watch, a major Hollywood musical about mental block?
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
The magic simply isn't there.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
Despite following its stage inspiration and bringing structure to Fellini's "8 1/2" (the ultimate source material), Nine still suffers at times from a lack of narrative drive and it doesn't have the surreal, dreamlike quality of "8 1/2" to fall back upon.
A joyless trudge, particularly when compared to Fellini’s vibrant original?
Let’s not dance around it: Nine--is a dud.
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
The disappointments here are many, from a starry cast the film ill-uses to flat musical numbers that never fully integrate into the dramatic story. The only easy prediction is that Nine is not going to revive the slumbering musical-film genre.
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
The numbers, while lively, remain cluttered and stage-bound. The women, however, are spirited and sexy.
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
Rob Marshall's flawed but frequently dazzling Nine is a hot-blooded musical fantasia full of song, dance, raging emotion and simmering sexuality.
Sophisticated, sexy and stylishly decked out, Rob Marshall's disciplined, tightly focused film impresses and amuses.