Exclusive Review: DW's The Ninth Symphony

Man, so sorry I haven't updated in like ever. I just have been in a bit of a rut with my writing and...beh, enough of my excuses. I finally have an update and it's a review!!!

The review in question is on "The Ninth Symphony", DW's sequel to his hit bait "Cherry Blossoms". The story follows Nick James, played by Milo Ventemiglia, the son of Richard James, the role that won Robert De Niro the Best Actor in September. Nick has become a celebrity with a new cooking show following his father's disappearance. Soon, however, he begins to develop a lost of taste in his mouth which is soon to be revealed as an early stage of mouth cancer. This will lead Nick into a new way of life that reunites him with old friends, helps him encounter old enemies, and learn how to make due with the time he has left. Most of the original cast returns in this film, including Stanley Tucci as the notorious critic and Eva Green as James' wife. Most of the crew also returns, such as director Bernardo Bertolucci and other key players. Pretty much, don't expect any huge surprises with this part.

Ok, let's start with the positive. Like almost all of DW's baits, it is very well written. Smart vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure really go a long way with this bait. It all helps capture the feel of a Bertolucci film. The cast does a very servicable job in the film, not particularly standing out but with no slackers to mention. There's nothing absolutely superb about this film, but all those good qualities give this film prestige

Now for the not so good. The main problem with sequels is that they usually can't capture the charm of their predecessors and unfortunately "The Ninth Symphony" suffers a bit here. Most of it comes from the abscense of Robert De Niro. Even though he's said to be in stock footage, it's like when you take Brando out of the Godfather and don't put him in the sequel. Unfortunately for "The Ninth Symphony", Ventemiglia is not Al Pacino and can't carry the film like that successful trade-off. My only other complaint is with the press section. Maybe it's just my way of viewing this part, but I think that given the length of the synopsis, we should get a little more than a tiny paragraph summarizing a big scope. It just seems lacking in comparison.

"The Ninth Symphony" isn't a bad bait. It still has many of the great qualities that made "Cherry Blossom" such a hit and it's a well written bait on its own terms. However, like many sequels, the freshness is gone. It doesn't have the inspired casting of De Niro or the unique style of the first story. It's just a good sequel. Nothing horrible but not revolutionary.

Final Score: B-

Pros:
+Well Written
+Solid if slightly unspectacular cast
+Competent director and crew

Cons:
-Abscense of De Niro really hurts
-Story, while charming at times, isn't that unique
-Press section seems lacking