9

My son, the boy wonder, had been eager to go the movies recently. After our last visit to see the noisy, raucous, juvenile, obnoxious, tedious, shallow, boring, unimaginative and overly painful Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen I was not particularly excited or in a hurry to go back.

Enter 9.
*

I had seen some trailers and was mildly intrigued by this one. I even showed the trailer to my son months ago and it apparently stayed with him because he had been asking to see 9 for some time.
*

So I relented and took him despite a barrage of mixed or middling reviews on the film. I'm really not much of a fan of Director Tim Burton's work. He was a producer on the film. He tries way too hard to be weird and while I respect his intensity and his unique vision in film making I'm generally put off by his dark and often pointless works.
*

Writer/ Director Shane Acker clearly has a relationship with him, and there are Burton elements to 9, but this is Acker's work entirely.
*

9 is a dark picture centered on a post apocalyptic world wrought by mechanized war. There are essentially nine characters [sans mechanical monsters and some of those are terrific] of differing size created lovingly of burlap sack, lenses, wood and copper among other parts and pieces. They are endowed with the soul of their creator. It is a haunting, beautiful picture on many levels. The action is there and I could have done with less of it and more of the character interaction. Those moments are the most mesmerizing to me. They are often sweet and sincere and I would have enjoyed more of it. Acker keeps things focused on the world in which these creatures inhabit. Their wee lives are fully realized and you are drawn into the dazzling visuals that surround them. There are extraordinary details in crushed cans, broken airplanes and shattered glass. You name it.
*

Acker maintains a a kind of morality play as lead character 9 represents us all within his story. He leads a band of reluctant heroes [reminiscent of Samurai Seven] attempting to save what is left to save in their little bodies and the world in which they live.

There is a singular moment in the film by which little 9 [of big burlap britches] makes a choice, a terrible decision to do something that sets a chain of horrific events in motion that drive the film to its climactic, fateful end. It's these kinds of moments that give you pause and make you think and wonder why? There is a richness to the work for it. I like the moment very much. It illustrates in it that there are no easy choices. Life is filled with risks and chances and 9 refuses to crush his curiosity and desire for learning in order to play it safe or secure like 1. He made a choice. He rolled the dice and it may not have been the wisest of decisions, but 9 is responsible enough to see it through and shoulders the error of his decision. There are many lessons to be learned here. It's not an easy film and delves into such questions of life to elevate the material outside of the mindless drivel that populates the summer movie feast.
*

And what about the creator, the scientist, who gave life to the nine? What do we know about him? One could say not very much. Still, could it be that Acker gave life to this creator trough the nine? Could it be the nine represent different aspects of the creator? I would go so far as to say they represent different aspects of us all. Culled together we are quite complex. Nine in many ways is the hero and in his selfless final act the scientist gave his life for him in the hopes of salvaging what remained of the planet. It's an interesting possibility.
*

As entertainment 9 is an exciting and intense tale about our fragility in taking good ideas too far. The characters represent aspects of ourselves from the gentle to the headstrong, stubborn and harsh to the forgiving. I loved it for its originality mixed with new ways to deliver old ideas. I also loved that Tim Burton didn't write or direct it as some of the heart might have been missing from the end results. It's a shame a layered, varied, more interesting and thoughtful film like this couldn't reach the larger audience that a film like Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen manages to seduce so mindlessly every time.
*

As we walked away from the theatre we each talked of our favorite characters. I loved 9 and 5. My son was a 9 and 5 guy too. 7 was another we both agreed played a pivotal role. What about the characters in Transformers? Who cares? The other thing- 9 truly stays with you. I'm still reflecting back on it two days later. I found my defense shields were up for the Transformers audio and visual assault and I quickly erased the horrors of that attack from my memory. 9 is not a perfect film, but its a damn sight better than most and the visuals welcome rather than offend the mind. There is something special about the work and you might find it in there as well. Like an artist, Acker has lovingly put his heart and soul into his little creations on film. I had no intention to write about it, but felt compelled to do so.
*

9: B+