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Nine

Daniel Day Lewis plays Guido Contini, an Italian director and tormented soul in this movie. His wife, played by Marion Cotillard, loves him in spite of his shortcomings which include, but certainly aren't limited to, a mistress, played astonishingly well by Penelope Cruz.

Dame Judi Dench was fabulous as Lewis' long suffering costume designer/confidant, and did her level best to steer Lewis clear of the moral muck in which he continually found himself, winning my heart in the process. Her first memorable line in the movie characterizes their relationship:

Directing a movie is a very overrated job, we all know it. You just have to say yes or no. What else do you do? Nothing. "Maestro, should this be red?" Yes. "Green?" No. "More extras?" Yes. "More lipstick?" No. Yes. No. Yes. No. That's directing.

Sophia Loren plays Lewis' deceased mother, and offers posthumous advice with mediocre results as Lewis resists logic and seems to prefer complexity in his interactions.

The plot summary ala IMDB:

Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.

Dramatic relationships indeed. There's never a dull emotional moment, and the cinematography as well as the costuming and writing weren't bad at all.

I give it a 6, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of a surreal spectacle from time to time. It's worth the almost two hours to view it, and I believe there's a little something in there for every adult who opts in.
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