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NINE LIVES is a moving exploration of the individual experiences of nine women as told through nine single unbroken takes. As characters from one story reappear in supporting roles in others, Rodrigo Garcia interweaves a grand tapestry of universal resonance that hinges on performances from an incredible ensemble. By depicting nine different characters at emotional crossroads, NINE LIVES examines how we so often find ourselves captive in relationships, both past and present. Sandra (Elpida Carrillo), is literally in prison and wants desperately to connect with her visiting child. Diana (Robin Wright Penn) confronts the sudden flash of a past relationship long after she has moved on to a new life. Holly (Lisa Gay Hamilton) can’t seem to move forward until her stepfather acknowledges the pain he has caused her. Sonia (Holly Hunter) reels from her boyfriend’s disclosure of an intimate secret to their closest friends. Teenager Samantha (Amanda Seyfreid) is caught in a static loop as the peacemaker between her parents. Lorna (Amy Brenneman) attempts to comfort her ex-husband after his wife’s suicide and finds herself implicated in the tragic death. Ruth (Sissy Spacek) considers straying from married life during a motel rendezvous. Camille (Kathy Baker) faces the limitations of her previously dependable body. Maggie (Glenn Close) allows her own life to be eclipsed by that of her young daughter, Maria (Dakota Fanning). Filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia (Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her) plumbs the depths with these nine everyday women who meet the travails and disappointments of life with a resilience that is at once heartening and heartbreaking.
 
Written and Directed by: Rodrigo Garcia
Produced by: Julie Lynn
Executive Producer: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Associate Producers: Kelly Thomas, Amy Lippens
Director of Photography: Xavier Perez Grobet
Music Composed by: Edward Shearmur
Production Designer: Courtney Jackson
Costume Designer: Maria Tortu
Music Supervisor: Barklie Griggs
Casting: Amy Lippens
Unit Production Manager: Jonathon McCoy
First Assistant Director: Darin Rivetti
Second Assistant Director: Douglas Plasse
Steadycam Operators: Dan Kneece, SOC, Henry Tirl, SOC
Production SOund Mixer: Felipe Borrero
Editor: Andrea Folprecht
Sound Design: Martin Hernandez
Camille...Kathy Baker
Lorna...Amy Brenneman
Sandra...Elpidia Carillo
Maggie...Glenn Close
Martin...Stephen Dillane
Maria...Dakota Fanning
Andrew...William Fitchner
Holly...Lisa Gay Harden
Sonia...Holly Hunter
Damian...Jason Isaacs
Richard...Joe Mantegna
Larry...Ian McShane
Lisa...Molly Parker
Alma...Mary Kay Place
Vanessa...Sydney Tamiia Poitier
Henry...Aiden Quinn
Ron...Miguel Sandoval
Samantha...Amanda Seyfried
Ruth...Sissy Spacek
Diana...Robin Wright Penn |
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“EXTRAORDINARILY RICH AND SATISFYING. It may be the closest movies have come to the cinematic equivalent of a collection of Chekhov short stories. For once, you don’t harbor the uneasy suspicion of having been emotionally manipulated. You hold your breath waiting for that false moment to arrive, and you sigh in amazement and relief when it doesn’t.” – Stephen Holden, NY Times
“THE TALES INSTANTLY GRIP YOU AND MAINTAIN THEIR INTENSITY. I’m not sure how director Garcia makes his vignettes so urgent, so satisfying, in such little time. He seems to have an almost clairvoyant grasp of character and has at his command some of the best actresses working. It’s a master class in acting and screenwriting. I SAY GIVE THE WHOLE CAST A TRUCKLOAD OF OSCARS.” – David Ansen, Newsweek.com
“SOPHISTICATED, ELEGANT, PERFECTLY SHAPED AND TIMED. Director Garcia has a masterly control and his large ensemble cast is impeccable. It’s that rare episode film that actually accrues a cumulative power. A FILM AS MEMORABLE AS IT IS SUBTLE.” Kevin Thomas, LA Times
“DEEPLY SATISFYING. What could have been a parlor game becomes surprisingly rich. Grade A-.” – Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
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