Playing with the fringes of reality

The Nines - 4/5

The Nines belongs to the reality bending genre of film-making. If you think in terms of some kind of cross between The Truman Show, The Matrix, Donnie Darko and Lost - you wouldn't be too far of the mark. Which means its quite difficult to say too much about the plot without giving things away. The movie begins with movie-star Gary (Ryan Reynolds) on an alcohol and coke fuelled binge, discovering that his belly button has gone missing and getting into his car to drive to hospital only to discover halfway there that he has two passengers in the rear seat, both of whom are also him. The movie then comes in three parts. The first part deals with Gary being under house arrest in a borrowed house. The second follows gay screenwriter Gavin (also Reynolds) being followed by reality TV cameras as he tries to get a pilot for a TV show made. The third part might be that TV show and features computer game designer Gabriel (yes - Reynolds again) who disappears.

Writer-director John August is best known as a screenwriter with a good track -record (Go, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride - Ok, he was also responsible for the Charlie's Angels scripts, but nobody's perfect) and here he's produced an intelligent, intriguing and playful script, which throws out ideas and red herrings in equal measure, always circling around the theme of different realities (none of the main character's occupations should be seen as entirely coincidental). He teases the audience with differing clues as to what the nines might actually be. Unfortunately the set-up is rather too good for the pay-off which feels slightly unsatisfactory after what has gone before, but the whole is so engaging and entertaining that you won't mind that much.

Star Ryan Reynolds has always had enough about him to suggest that he's rather better than the usually dire material he ends up with (Van Wilder, Blade Trinity, Waiting) and his performance here confirms whilst not being quite as good as you might hope. To compare with Jim Carrey, this is his Truman Show, rather than his Eternal Sunshine. He's ably supported by the always good Hope Davis (also playing three roles) and a rather creepy mostly mute Elle Fanning (who is also creepily like her big sister Dakota).

It's not quite in the same league as the films it borrows from, and the dialogue occasionally strays into the just too-knowing ("you're looking a bit a Beautifil Mind-ish"), but its well done, with enough playful wit to keep you guessing and keep you interested. Well worth checking out.