| _Synopsis'; s += 'When Albert Stockwell comes home from work one day he finds a note from his wife of 15 years, Nancy, saying she has gone to see friends. It is a lie. '; s += 'After waiting several days, Albert realizes that his wife is missing. Nancy has met her salvation on the Internet in the form of Louis Farley. Louis\'s life, like Nancy\'s, has become a twisted quest for redemption via smutty chat rooms and alternative websites. Both wounded and alone, Nancy and Louis take comfort in one another through email, pictures and promises. '; s += 'With Louis, Nancy goes to a different place, one of liberation and fulfillment. It¹s a location where pain is pleasure and where the end is the beginning. While she pursues the freedom that she feels will only come with ultimate liberation, Albert is left to put the pieces together and try to salvage what is left.'; s += ' |
| _Cinematical Review (Erik Davis)'; s += 'Sundance Festival Director Geoff Gilmore introduced Downloading Nancy as "the most intense film of the festival." Not only is he absolutely right, but it\'s also powerful, emotional, overwhelming and, most importantly, extremely uncomfortable. God bless whoever takes a chance on this film and attempts to market it, honestly, to a mass audience, because Downloading Nancy is a sick and twisted rollercoaster ride that climbs fast and drops slowly ... leaving you plenty of time to absorb its raw insanity along the way. '; s += 'Should this film get picked up and play in theaters at some point during the year, then I\'d be completely shocked if Maria Bello doesn\'t wind up with an Oscar nod for best actress in 2009. Sure, it\'s a little early to be saying that, but this woman gives the performance of the festival -- and of her career -- as a lonely, emotionless wife on the brink of complete self destruction. There aren\'t many actresses who can successfully pull off what Bello does here; hers is the sort of role that comes up every once in a blue moon and completely paralyzes you for two hours as you sit and try to comprehend how in the world a person could convincingly become this tragic character just from reading a script. '; s += 'Bello plays Nancy, a wounded woman who\'s days away from finally cracking. Her marriage to the stone cold golf-obsessed Albert (Rufus Sewell) lacks emotion and intimacy, and so Nancy turns to the online world for a way out of her marriage, out of herself and out of her life. But she\'s not looking to have an affair; a fling with an online buddy or three -- something to clear her mind, provide some excitement to an otherwise empty life. Instead, she\'s looking to hire someone to kill her. But not just kill her; to torture her physically, emotionally, sexually -- then to strike when she least expects it. And she seems to find that someone in Louis (Jason Patric), a quiet observer hiding from his own dark past.'; s += 'First time feature director Johan Renck draws from his highly successful days as a commercial and music video director by creating a non-linear film broken up into several vignette-type scenes that eventually piece together a thought-provoking, well-written story. One that you\'ll either love or hate -- after all, uncomfortable films like this one often have trouble finding fans. You might say to yourself ... "what\'s the point of watching Bello naked, strapped to a bed, while Patric glides a piece of sharp glass down her body and, eventually, up her dress?" '; s += 'But there is a point somewhere, albeit one that could easily be passed off as "shock value fluff." However, for you to think that means you clearly don\'t believe there are woman out there like Nancy. Woman who\'ve suffered from emotional, physical and sexual abuse for so long that the pain becomes comforting and natural. The pain equals acceptance. It replaces love. This is who Nancy is, and despite attempts to heal through therapy, she just can\'t find a reason to keep going. Eventually, Louis begins to fall in love with Nancy; he relates to her suffering and he\'d like to be the one who finally saves her even though the reality is exactly the opposite. Or is it? '; s += 'By the end, each character will confront themselves, as well as each other, and search for redemption. In the meantime, you\'ll be left searching for a reason to either love or hate this film. My only hope is that you think about it before you react. That\'s something Nancy never did. And it\'s something all of us need to do more often. '; s += ' |
| _Dark Horizons Review (Paul Fischer)'; s += 'The toughest film thus far and the one causing an almost vitriolic reaction, is Downloading Nancy, directed by Johan Renck. This is an intense, tragic and ugly view of humanity, yet through one of the bravest and most stunning performances in years, it is also strangely compelling. Maria Bello stars as the tormented, suicidal Nancy, long trapped in a marriage she despises because her husband [Rufus Sewell] has no connection with her, virtually ignoring her and her signs of unhappiness. She meets Louis online, and makes a pact with him, one that is preceded by the kind of ferocious sexuality she was denied throughout her marriage. '; s += 'There are barbaric moments in Nancy, and it is an unsettling and tough film, but life is not all hearts and roses, and the cinemas needs to reflect the darkness and tragedy that exists within our society. Many younger critics will find reason to be full of disdain for a film full of barbaric honesty, and commercial prospects are tough, given the pic\'s obvious NC-17 rating. Yet Maria Bello confirms that she is one of the most audacious and accomplished actors working today, and is so stunningly raw and brilliant in this film, that it is easy to forget that we are watching a piece that doesn\'t attempt to gloss over Nancy\'s tragic desperation.'; s += 'Obviously, this is hardly escapist cinema, but it is a fascinating and intricate film that takes one on a dark and sexual journey through the underbelly of society. Film is about taking risks, and while Downloading Nancy is not for everyone, it doesn\'t try to be. For Maria Bello\'s astonishing and complex performance, this is a film worth seeing. After all, isn\'t that what independent film is all about?'; s += ' |
| _Emanuel Levy Review'; s += 'Disturbing and relentlessly raw, "Downloading Nancy" is directed by Johan Renck, forcing the viewer to consider how his central characters face a rapidly changing world, increasingly shaped by the global Internet. '; s += 'His finely crafted narrative, boasting stunning images from ace lenser Chris Doyle, moves quickly through the plot points, relying heavily on a superb cast, headed by Rufus Sewell, Mario Belo (Oscar nominated for "History of Violence"), and Amy Brenneman (currently in the TV series, "Private Practice"), and Jason Patric. '; s += 'Brit Rufus Sewell plays Albert Stockwell, a man comes home from work one day to find a note from his wife of 15 years, Nancy (Maria Bello), saying she has gone to see friends. We immediately figure out that it\'s a lie. After waiting for several days, Albert realizes that his wife is missing. '; s += 'It turns out that Nancy has met her "salvation" on the Internet in the form of Louis Farley (Jason Patric). As wounded souls, Nancy and Louis take comfort in one another through e-mail, pictures, and promises of perverse sexual encounters. Nancy has finally found the one and only thing that can liberate her from the pain in her life. But will this couple endure? '; s += 'Watching "Downloading Nancy" is like prolonging the instance when the anticipation of extreme pain becomes scarily intriguing.'; s += ' |
| _Quotes'; s += '"\'Downloading Nancy\' is an undeniably well-made, well-acted film… This is, quite frankly, the most disturbing movie I\'ve ever seen." –Grib, Aint it Cool.com '; s += '"…it is one of the better examples of filmmaking I’ve seen at this year’s Festival. Maria Bello gives an award-worthy performance in the title role as an internet entrepreneur who is so alienated from her husband Albert (Rufus Sewell, in another solid performance) that she is engaging in a very violent and sexual cyber relationship with Louis (Jason Patric)… You will be rewarded with excellent performances from all, especially Bello and Patric, who has managed to create a performance even more repulsive than his turn in Neil Labute\'s "Your Friends and Neighbors," which is something I had not previously thought possible." –Grib, Aint it Cool.com '; s += '"Built around a swimming-in-the-deep-end performance by Maria Bello that is the definition of fearless, this first feature by big-deal Swedish commercials and music vid helmer Johan Renck feels like a walk-on-the-wild-side Euro entry rather than anything that would normally come out of the Amerindie movement." –Todd McCarthy, Variety '; s += '"Downloading Nancy is one of the most well-acted, beautifully shot, well-directed films in the festival…" –Rav, Aint it Cool.com '; s += '"The bottom line is that Downloading Nancy is causing a stir for a reason. It will certainly be one of the more provocative and thought-provoking films of the season, and so you owe it to yourself to check this film out regardless of your response."… Downloading Nancy is going to be one of those movies you either love or hate. Some articles are already mentioning Bello for an Oscar in 2009 if this movie makes it to mainstream movie theatres. This movie resonates and makes you wonder if people really do get this emotionally beat up, so much so that they begin to find comfort in pain. –Mouth of the South, Associated Content.com '; s += '"The Sundance Film Festival provides one time during the year for artistic filmmakers from around the world to showcase their most brilliant work, and it seems like every year there is one filmmaker who rises above the rest. This one filmmaker creates a work of art that moves people on a deep emotional level and this year, it seems to have been director, Johan Renck. Renck directed the film, Downloading Nancy and it’s causing quite a stir at the festival." -Marli, Associated Content.com '; s += '"Downloading Nancy is indeed an intense film, and hard to watch. Director Johan Renck holds little back as he explores the twisted world that Nancy inhabits. A world where a woman has been so abused in life that she couldn’t accept love." -CinemaBlend.com 1-22-08 '; s += '"I recognize the skill with which it was constructed–the images were crisp and blue, compositions were careful and often successfully reflected the disorientation and alienation of its characters, and the way the film editing played with time and space was intriguing. The performances were bold and I admire the actors." -Caitlin Dixon, Studiodaily.com 1-28-07 '; s += '"The energy of the film belongs entirely to Bello, who shows dimensions of sadness she\'s never revealed to audiences until now. Watch for a late moment in a hardware store, when she gently brushes her hand along the sharp gardening tools while walking past, daydreaming about what\'s to come." -Ryan Stewart, Premiere.com'; s += ' |