Something dark looms over this movie: Nancy's plan. For a long time, we don't know what it is, but it can't be good. Nancy (Maria Bello) is a pain junkie, the self-destructive kind: no pain, no gain. Maria Bello, she's good. This is her movie. The way she carries herself, the way she walks and the way she talks all radiate defeat. Maria Bello has a nice, articulate voice. But when Nancy speaks in that same voice, it doesn't matter what she says. The way she says it says it all. Nancy rarely smiles, and it's a pretty desperate smile, mostly reserved for her luckless therapist. Against hope, I found myself hoping for better days, but they never break. Nancy takes off to Baltimore. "Who has friends in Baltimore?", her helpless husband finds himself wondering. He's right. Nobody does. Nancy doesn't. She doesn't have friends. Not in Baltimore, not anywhere. She's not the type. - The script jumps back and forth in time, to unsettling effect. If you liked "Chasing Sleep" or "Breaking the Waves", this might be for you, but I'm not sure it's for anyone. There's not a ray of light in it, but I guess that's what life is like for the likes of Nancy.
Review of Downloading Nancy
