Rating: 
Summary: What a beautiful movie, ruined by a throwaway ending...
Review: Up to the last 5 minutes of this film, I was so enthralled, so deeply interested in this movie. A film done so purely in old style film making, Johnny Depp (a personal favorite) and Roman Polanski at the helm, I was in love. Beautiful cinematography, a true sense of paranoia and evil, and a score that in it's somewhat bizarreness created a otherworldly feel. I can't say enough that this was NOT Johnny Depp's fault, he is the most underrated actor and possibly the most talented out there and does well with his role. Likewise, the rest of the movie's actors are very talented to say the least. What killed this movie for me was an ending that left me cursing at my screen for 10 minutes wondering why I had just wasted my afternoon. Is this supposed to be artistic or mysterious? Seems to me they ran out of time or money, either that or Roman Polanski is losing his touch. Either way, a good movie if you turn it off 10 minutes before it's over and make up a better ending in your head. Trust me, it'll be better that way.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise that went nowhere.
Review: Started out very good, plot-wise, but pretty much fell apart at the end. On the positive side, I'll be sure to read the book on which it was based. By now, you know the basic plotline, so I won't bore you with that. This film is 95% surface. Looks good, but what's underneath? Production values are good. The photography is wonderful. The acting is mostly very good. The glaring exception here is The Girl. (I now understand how she got this part. She's the director's wife. It all makes sense now.) As an avid reader (ie: literate, thank you) I was able to figure out each and every plot point approximately 15 minutes before the lead character. Not much suspense at all. And, of course, there's the final 10 minutes. The pacing, for the first 3/4 of the film is fine, if a bit slow. I enjoyed the piecing together of the mystery, even if I was ahead of the plot the whole time. I've been very entertained by these reviews. The most interesting reviews are from people who "know" what Polanski was thinking/meant to say with this film. They seem to be divided. Half of them "know" that this film is a stylish, intelligent thriller. The other half "know" that this is satire. Hmm. I don't pretend to know what was in Polanski's mind. (How refreshing.) However, for those of you who feel cheated by the ending, I'd like to offer an interpretation for you. The whole thing was just a big practical joke, perpetrated by Satan. He set up the whole thing with the three books that took man three centuries to bring together and decipher; just so one arrogant billionaire would immolate himself. I suppose if you're Satan, you've got that kind of time on your hands. Better?
Rating: 
Summary: A much better film than most people think
Review: I think that the reason that a lot of people are not liking this movie is because they are expecting a horror or suspense film and not getting that (this film is neither particularly scary or horrific, to be sure.) However, it is very, very funny. I think that was Polanski's intent. I don't think He has a lot of respect for the supernatural. He finds it ridiculous, and so chose to approach the subject matter in a humourous way. It's the blackest and subtlest of humor, not likely the kind to make you laugh out loud, but it is very enjoyable. I don't have a problem with the ending as many others do. It's kind of the perfect fairy tale ending to an fairy tale like story. There is no fault in Polanski's logic, he just doesn't give us every little piece of evidence. The viewer has to fill in a few small gaps him/herself, which I think is really great. I appreciate a director who withholds from being overly serious about Satan. Really nice ending credits, too.
Rating: 
Summary: A movie for intellectuals only, or...?
Review: I rented this movie because I heard that it was good, but aftersitting through just about 2 hours through this, I'd have to call it torture. The Ninth gate is about a mercenary book dealer (whom obviously enjoys smoking and drinking, because he does it in almost every scene. In fact, it seems the EVERYONE in this movie enjoys smoking...) that looks for three copies of a book that was said the be co-authored by Lucifer himself. Meanwhile, he is aided by a strange woman that can "magically" fly around and always seems to be there. From the promising beginning to the ludicriously STUPID ending which will have you saying, "Huh?", The Ninth gate will have you yawning non-stop, because this movie is extremely slow-paced and has no climax or anti-climaxes at all...even a car chase scene near the end wasn't all that "heart-pounding." I watched it with my parents, and they actually fast-forwarded through a lot of the movie. And guess what? We didn't miss much, either! This movie is NOT an action-packed thriller, it is more of a psycho-suspense thriller...not that I got any suspense out of this movie. I thought that The Ninth Gate was a movie for the intellectual people out there because of the plot, but the intelligent people would be the ones that turn off the movie early and do something else. To wrap it up, The Ninth Gate is a very dull and slow-paced movie that is best left alone, or if you MUST sit through it, fast-forwarded through. Believe me, you won't miss much either way.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe not for American Audiences
Review: After reading very mixed reviews on this film I had to see what Roman had done to El Club Dumas. Having read the book some time ago, I didn't really see how it could be adapted into a film. But much like James Elloy's LA CONFIDENTIAL, it was adapted by stripping out all but one of the many subplots and basing the whole film on it. I loved this film and can't praise it enough, and reading the book is not necessary to understanding it. Johnny Depp plays Corso, an amoral rare book dealer who is slowly seduced by the left hand path. You don't like him at the beginning of the film, he is not a nice guy, but by the end, when you at least empathize with him, he is far worse than you could have imagined. It is a slowly paced seductive piece of work that has to be re-screened to be appreciated. Americans like obvious entertainment, they generally don't want to have to work at a puzzle or an art form to get at it's meaning. It's a shame, because this one has a lot to offer. If you think the plot is silly, it's not for you. It's done in a very European style and may be an acquired taste. I won't say that those who dislike it are stupid, but I have learned over time not to rashly criticize things I simply don't fully understand. I've looked at unliked books and movies years later and wondered "what was I thinking?".
Rating:
Summary: Worst movie I've seen in a long time
Review: This movie was straight up terrible. I literally felt dumber after watching it. Save your money. There are completely unnecesary scenes throughout the movie, effects that are cheesy as hell, and quite possibly the worst "love" scene i've EVER seen in my entire life. No joke. This movie is horrible. Don't waste your time on it.
Rating:
Summary: Another devilish movie...
Review: Why are there so many movies about the Devil lately? Johnny Depp seems to be better known for his weird characters in movies such as ... Edward Scissorhands ... Sleepy Hollow ... The Astronaut's Wife and now The Ninth Gate. The story was a bit slow to develop with a a scene reminisent of Eyes Wide Shut. The ending was a total dissappointment! I wouldn't buy this one...if you're still curious - rent it on video.
Rating:
Summary: saved by Depp
Review: Without Johnny Depp, the movie would have been a failure. Two reasons to buy it: Johnny Depp fans will enjoy his acting talents in a wiry and thrilling mystery. The other is to motivate you to read the novel that inspired the film"The Club Dumas.".
Rating:
Summary: Actually 2.5 stars
Review: The story is very interesting and was good enough to lay a strong foundation for a solid movie, but it begins to crumble by the half way point of the movie. The movie stars Johnny Depp, who plays Dean Corso, a combination of Private Investigate/Appraiser for the Literary world. He finds people rare books, appraises collections and is a collector (for profitable resale only) as well. However, he has the reputation for being the "used car salesman" among literary circles. However, his slimy ways impress Boris Balkan (played with chilling delight by Frank Langella), a billionaire publisher who has just purchased a book called "The Ninth Gate" from a Gentleman named Tefler. Problem is the book belonged to his wife and she wants it back, but I'll explain a little later. Balkan knows that there are 3 copies of the "The Ninth Gate" still available and Corso is to track the other two and get them (at any cost). Why is this book so valuable? Because, supposidly it was co-authored by the Devil himself and shows the way to bring him back to the "real world" through this gate. So the adventures take him to Spain, Portugal and France where he meets the other two owners and is tracked by this mysterious woman, who acts as his guardian angel. However, Ms. Tefler with her henchman is also trying to snatch the book at every opportunity. This was a very good premise in the hands of a very good director (Roman Polanski of Chinatown fame), so what happened? 1. The story becomes boring and generic at the half way point. Nothing spectacular or sinister ever really happens. 2. The contents of the book are never explored. Of all those pages of text, the pictures are the only things of any value? 3. Johnny Depp was fairly wooden as the lead, and Emmaunelle Seigner (who plays the Guardian) is too stoic for her role description. 4. The ending is a sham. It betrays the whole first half and makes little sense. 5. Frank Langella, who is by far the most sinsister character in the movie disappears and only is heard once every 20 minutes or so on the telephone. This and the other Devil apolcaypse movies have failed in it's story telling and delivery as well (End of Days and Stigmata). At least this one didn't have Gabriel Byrnes in it...Rating: C-
Rating:
Summary: Now we have a 2nd reason to keep RP in Europe
Review: It's hard to believe the man who made "Chinatown" made "9th Gate." The former had a riveting plot overlain with incredible levels of meaning -- personal, political, societal. It's one of my top 10 movies ever. Technically "Gate" was well-made, but the plot was all surface. None of the moral questions raised about the hero were answered; nor were any of the plot elements. The ending felt like the answer to the question "What's the quickest way to get this over with?" Could have been a good role for Depp if he'd been given a character with any dep(p)th. By the end, he seemed to be playing for gags, which was probably the only hope of saving his reputation. A waste of rental money and, worse, a waste of two hours.
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