I so wanted to love “Nine”. “West Side Story” was my favorite film ever. Despite an always stellar performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, despite a never sexier Penelope Cruz, despite an astoundingly still sexy at 75 Sophia Loren and a surprising strong performance by Kate Hudson, “Nine” comes up just a 4-and-a-half in my book. Nicole Kidman has somehow turned herself into a porcelain doll. The most real performance here: Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.

“Nine” is stylized, cool and the music is artfully woven in but the songs themselves weren’t strong enough to hold me. You won’t leave humming the songs.

2-and-a-half stars