Sundance: The Nines Movie Review

Eight years after his first feature screenplay Go played Sundance, John August returns with his directing debut The Nines.

I've sat here looking at the curser blink on my laptop screen for over two minutes. I just can't seem to put the plot of this movie into words. Everything and anything would be giving something away. The Nines not only escapes classification, it escapes explanation. Like last year's film by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain), it's one of those movies that people will either love or hate.

Like the hit television show Lost, it mixes reality with some seemingly unexplainable sci-fi elements. It's a riddle in the form of a movie. Ryan Reynolds delivers a shockingly great non-comedic performance. Melissa McCarthy displays a versatile, original and unique staging. She's not the usual casting choice, and it's refreshing to see her face on the big screen. Elle Fanning in her first appearance since Babel, displays a charisma and cuteness that makes you wonder if she might someday surpass her older sister Dakota.

The Nines challenges your perception and is sure to spark questions and conversation. What is a creators responsibility to his own creations? What is/are the Nines? And why do they appear everywhere? It's a carefully constructed multi-layed epic played out in three acts. John August has launched himself into a new stratosphere. His dialogue is sharp and clever.

I'd love to say more but I really don't want to ruin a thing. Go see this movie, and stay away from any spoilers.

/Film Rating: 8.5 out of 10