Nine Lives
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: October 14, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
This beautifully sculpted poetic naturalism has more in common with the expressive use of words in the great screenplays of '40s and '50s than with modern movies. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
What could have been a parlor game becomes a surprisingly rich sketchbook, boosted by the work of fine actors. Read full review
90
Film ThreatRory L. Aronsky
Garcia is a thoughtful filmmaker not only by the group of actors he has gathered, but in remembering that there has been and will be people watching his movie. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
A bold film both in its storytelling strategies and its filmmaking logistics. Read full review
90
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Together, however, they add up to a film that may be the closest movies have come to the cinematic equivalent of a collection of Chekhov short stories. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
That rare episode film that actually accrues a cumulative power and doesn't merely proceed from one segment to the next. Read full review
90
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
As a film composed entirely of nine continuous long takes, Nine Lives certainly qualifies as unique. But what makes it rarer and more auspicious is that it offers such a rich bounty of great roles for middle-aged women. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The scenes are so dramatically cogent the characters' lives seem to stretch far beyond the concluding blackouts. Read full review
90
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
García wanted to paint a canvas of nine elements, rather than one large element; and, though only a few of the vignettes are related, the film leaves us with a sense of wholeness, not of stunt. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A movie like this, with the appearance of new characters and situations, focuses us; we watch more intently, because it is important what happens. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A disturbingly frank look at people and relationships in contemporary Los Angeles and a thrilling dramatic showcase for a brilliant cast. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
In refusing to pigeonhole its characters, Nine Lives is less like those L.A. road-rage melodramas "Short Cuts" and "Crash" than those all-of-us-are-interconnected dramas "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams." Read full review
80
VarietyScott Foundas
Though the episodic structure results in a whole not quite equal to some of its parts, pic is an unusually tender, perceptive character study buoyed by stellar performances from a who's who of talented (and many underused) actresses. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
The beauty of Nine Lives is that its occasionally overlapping stories feel entirely unforced; Garcia's is a filmmaking style of rare lyricism, compassion and discretion. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
One wishes perhaps for a more thumping conclusion, but what we have instead is something perfectly in the spirit of the piece, reaffirming that life, big and little, happens in 10 minutes chunks. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
A couple of the stories don't quite accomplish what Rodrigo intends, but most are poignant, disturbing, and superbly acted. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Beautifully acted and emotionally devastating. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Not all of Nine Lives clicks, but at its best it finds an inarticulate sisterly solace that makes you want to see what this director could do with one life per film. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
An emotionally satisfying example of a genre whose sketchiness can be off-putting. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
The snaky cinematography pulls you through even when the writing doesn't, and the best performances keep you hoping that you'll feel the next one or the one after that just as powerfully. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
Five or six lives might have felt more concise; nine test the patience a bit, though it is impressive that each is composed of a single Steadicam shot. Read full review
67
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
The uneven Nine Lives has an impressive cast, but the best section features the great Mexican actress Elpidio Carrillo as a prison inmate kept from her child. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle Smith
Nine Lives hands the viewer a lot of work -- learning a whole new set of characters every few minutes -- for a disappointing wage. The bad stories waste your time, and the good ones leave you unsatisfied. Read full review
50
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
In yet another roundelay that, like "Crash" and "Heights," follows the "Short Cuts" template of cosmic interconnection. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Movies like this usually have something interesting to say about the human condition, but not Nine Lives. It makes an insufferably obvious observation: we live boring lives, shit happens, and we die. Read full review
More From This Movie

80 Critic Reviews

6.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL