Nine Lives (2004)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Dean Howell

Writers:

Dean Howell (screenplay)
Michael Kearns (play)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Male Prostitute | Voice Over Narration | Expectant Mother | Hiv Positive | Interlinked Stories

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Steve Callahan	...	Corey
William Christian	...	Ralph
Dennis Christopher	...	Mikey
John Ganun	...	Bo
Dean Howell	...	James
Michael Kearns	...	Ronnie
Nick Salamone	...	Daniel
Eric Dean	...	Carlos (as Eric Turic)
Debra Wilson	...	Lisa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sean Abley	...	12 Step Member
Nic Arnzen	...	Phil
Todd Andrew Ball	...	12 Step Member
David Bauman	...	Frank
Tracy Berna	...	Quilt Party
John Carrozza	...	Bathhouse Man
Bill Chrisley	...	Father Maloney
David C. Cobb	...	Quilt Party (as David Cobb)
Julie Cohen	...	12 Step Member
Matt Crabtree	...	Allen
Terry Engels	...	Quilt Party
Michael Gartzman	...	Bathhouse Man
Zo Harris	...	Doctor
Rosario Higueros	...	Quilt Party
Terrence Houlihan	...	Boxing Gym Trainer (as Terry Houlihan)
Anne Hulegard	...	Bo's Mother
Tia Kearns	...	Young Lisa
Andy Mackenzie	...	Maxie
Tim Mack	...	Quilt Party
Kevin McCarty	...	Simon
Ethan Mechare	...	Young Ronnie
Tory Mele	...	Bathhouse Man
Euan Moffitt	...	Hospital Receptionist
Rick Parish	...	Quilt Party
Doug Prinzivalli	...	Bathhouse Man
Charlie Rankin	...	12 Step Member
Mark Salzberg	...	Boxing Gym Trainer
Jennifer Sanderson	...	12 Step Member
Amy Seeley	...	12 Step Member
James J. Stevens	...	Bartender (as Jim Stevens)
Josh Weichel	...	Guy Cruising In Park
Renee Williams	...	Jeneane
Tony Zarillo	...	Quilt Party

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Edit This Productions

Movie Connections:

Remake of La ronde (1950)

Coincidences and Consequences

Based on the Michael Kearns' play 'Complications', NINE LIVES introduces a sequence of the lives of nine men who are interconnected by the fact they are all participants in the roundelay of casual sexual encounters. The technique used is that of each actor speaking to the audience about his background and how each ended up in the rather sad state of living in which they find themselves. The stories are interesting if a bit repetitive (parental abuse of both the verbal and physical type, the agonies of 'coming out'. and the specter of AIDS), but the script keeps the conversations mixed well with actual encounters so that we the audience are less confessional listeners so much as participants in the results of living life on the edge.

The cast is uniformly fine, a factor that keeps the film afloat in many instances. Particularly fine is Steve Callahan ('East Side Story') who seems to have a promising career. Director Dean Howell (who also wrote the screenplay) is another solid actor as are Eric Turic, William Christian, John Ganun, Dennis Christopher, Nick Salamone, Debra Wilson - well, the entire cast. The direction is tight and flows well from 'life to life', using sexual scenes where indicated, and keeping the focus on the darker side of the round of confessions. The cinematography by Mark A. Ryan keeps the look dark and coarse and a bit too much on the dreary side. The makeup artist Shari Balbien is none too kind to the actors' looks. Made in 2004 the film holds up well as far as content, a sad statement about the slow progress in the struggle against HIV infection. Grady Harp