The Nines is a movie that reaches for the stars, but falls short.  I didn't love the movie, but it was an interesting change of pace for me, and I appreciate that.  The acting in the film was a little unbelievable at times, but you could argue that it played into the theme of someone assuming a fictional role.  You would be talking out of your ass if you argued that, but it is certainly an option.  Any time a filmmaker chooses to go the meta- route, they risk coming off like a hack; not everyone has something clever to say about the filmmaking process.  Yes, there are some clever moments (the "no bellybutton" bit was cute), but I didn't think they added up to a proper whole.  With this kind of movie, I want to be blown away when it ends, with my concept of reality and creativity completely unhinged.  I think The Nines fails in this aspect.  It's not a bad movie, though.  It's just a little shallower than you might expect.