HIFF 2020: Nine Days
The world is a messed up place. There is an endless amount of misery and chaos out there, and it can be hard to retain a positive outlook on life when it seems like everything is pulling apart at the seams. That is why Nine Days is such an important film. It’s a haunting, ethereal experience that shows it’s okay to have an optimistic mindset despite the inherent darkness that hangs in the air. It’s an ode to life that most everyone will be able to connect with on some level.
Revolving around a reclusive man (Winston Duke), who is tasked with interviewing a group of lost souls for a chance to be born, Nine Days contains one hell of a cast, and every performance is perfectly calculated to fit the melancholic, bittersweet tone. Winston Duke turns in truly stunning work here. Every action his character makes reveals another crack in his facade, and Duke’s portrayal of this lonely, broken man will linger long after the credits have ceased. The supporting players are aces as well – with Benedict Wong, Zazie Beetz and Tony Hale, in particular, excelling with their individual characters.
Edson Oda has immediately made himself known as a true visionary only one film into his career. He shows a knack for how to convey complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way without dumbing things down for the general audience. Oda also wrote the film, and this script is one of his biggest accomplishments. Everything about the screenplay – from the dialogue and themes to the way that he brings everything full-circle by the end – is so well-crafted. Every character is fleshed-out and easily understandable, despite minimal screen time for some. It’s artsy and minimalist without ever crossing the line into pretentious territory.
The cinematography by Wyatt Garfield is beautiful, always aesthetically pleasing and interestingly framed but never overly showy. Antonio Pinto’s score is spine-tingling in the best possible way. It plays a big part in why the emotional moments work as well as they do, and the main orchestral piece that pops up throughout is otherworldly.
Put simply, Nine Days is something that everybody needs to experience at some point. It has something profound and true to say about the human experience that not many seasoned directors would dare to attempt, let alone a first-timer. It’s wildly unique, powerful and serves as an example of what the world could use more of right now: compassion and empathy.