Review: Nine Lives
Hyperlink cinema, a term coined by author Alissa Quart, refers to the multilinear and connective qualities in films such as this, Traffic, City Of God, Syriania, Crash, 21 Grams, Amores Perros, Babel, Short Cuts, Nashville, and a few others. See the pattern? I for one am a huge fan of this style of film, and this is no exception. The nine lives, headlined by Elpidia Carrillo as Sandra, Robin Wright Penn as Diana (my favorite vignette), Lisa Gay Hamilton as Holly (my favorite performance), Holly Hunter as Sonia, Amanda Seyfried as Samantha, Amy Brenneman as Lorna, Sissy Spacek as Ruth, Kathy Baker as Camille, and Glenn Close as Maggie. Towards the end, you feel like one vignette will tie all the storylines together when they all get into a glorious car wreck (I’ve been watching too much Inarittu), but they don’t, and it’s so much better. A few of the vignettes have very thin connections to the other women, but each story exists on its own legs. If you’re hesitant about the femme-centered branding of the film, don’t be. Each story follows a certain woman, but that woman is in a non-feminine situation. I don’t know; I’m trying to say it’s not a chick flick. Each vignette focuses on life, death, love, regret, etc., and each one hits HARD. Reading up on the film afterwards, I kicked myself for not recognizing some blatant symbolism. Of the hyperlink genre, it’s my favorite.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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