the film gets distributed because she is deserving of at least an Oscar nomination for the part, if not the award..

deny any living thing relief from profound pain? It seems as a species we're much more adept at causing and prolonging each others pain than anything else.In this film, Maria Bello plays very much a victim of childhood abuse who now suffers at the hands of an uncaring, unsympathetic husband played masterfully by Rufus Sewell. Every nuance and every tick is captured and sometimes shown in closeup as Sewell goes about his business with utter disregard for his wife's profound suffering.Maria Bello portrays a woman I'd expect would elicit even a modest measure of sympathy from a passing stranger and yet her husband, clearly unable, shows himself to be either a monster or yet another tortured soul, battered by years of his wife's seemingly unreasonable anguish.This is not a film I'd care to watch a second time, but I'm glad I watched it because it IS very well made. The performances are as perfect as any I have seen, while the cinematography and the score similarly show qualities that perfectly fit the story.

you be able to recognize the next victim…the next "Nancy?"Watch and see from the edge of your seat how "Nancy" handles her suffering!Kelly J. Volkart Author, "Sensory Leadership"

disillusioned wife who went through some hardship and deals with her ignorant and cold husband by feeling through self-inflicted pain. Its not about the fact that she is trying to find someone to kill her over the internet and its not even a study on the phenomena of "cutters". I wasn't visually appalled by anything in this movie... yet it was hurting. It doesn't hurt to see Nancy cut herself or being choked. It hurts seeing her curdled up crying on the floor when she finds herself not being killed. It hurts to see her tries to communicate on an irrational level and those around her unable to cope with it. It hurts to see her abandoned and alone on the dance floor and it hurts just as much as seeing her husband, his friends, the internet-chat friend or Nancys psychiatrist showing just the same signs of being unable to speak and cope with those around them and the hidden hurt inside them.Even more than "Requiem for a dream" I find myself and most of those close to me right in the characters drama. This happens every day, every minute, yet most don't take drastic measures like Nandy. And I can't help but feel sad for everyone in this movie trapped in this spiral of hidden hurt, unableness to communicate and making the same mistakes you suffered from others. This is a movie about empathy and I rarely feel so close to movie characters. Its like staring into a mirror and looking at what you don't want to see and I think that is why so many people hate the movie or walk out of the cinema. Its not the killing and cutting and beating and most of all its not gratuitously focusing on human suffering. When you realize how we really all are one and get the chance to see our parallels rather than our differences... I guess thats good and I guess thats where Nancy herself tragically fails.

events with some cinematic liberties altered from a 1996 case about a woman named Sharon Lopatka who went by the name of Nancy over the computer."Downloading Nancy" is about a down-on-this-world woman, played by Maria Bello, who searches for someone on the Internet that would take her life as she's tried herself with scars to show for it. Not to mention going to therapy sessions to resolve her long list of deep-rooted issues without any substantial luck. She's married and unable to have kids due to being abused and suffering physical pain as a little girl. Her husband Albert, played by Rufus Sewell, doesn't understand her need for infliction during intercourse, and after 15 years of marriage is fed up with her immature and selfish ways of dealing with problems. He has golf and other hobbies to keep himself distracted, not to mention they sleep next to each other, yet are worlds apart. Nancy finds her guy, or so he says, and takes off with only a nondescript note left over to her husband. The newly met man from online seems the perfect match to give her the rough stimulation she feels she needs. Nancy has her highs and lows, from emotional to withdrawn, giving a torn decision to the man who's now infatuated with her.Slow, serious, subtle, "Downloading Nancy" builds up by showing rather than telling how this woman got to the desperate, manic, end-all state she's at. There are loose, hand-held camera shots that put you there. Sometimes hiding behind something to give the point of view of witnessing and experiencing it first hand. The settings are dulled with drab colors and neutral furniture to give an oppressive tone without overdoing it and trying to be creepy. Maria Bello does an excellent job of playing a pessimistic woman with more than one troubling issue to contend with. Her impulsive ways make her unpredictable and unlikable, though there is a feeling of pity as she can't even help herself.This doesn't have the typical amount of hope or resolve that you see in Hollywood pictures, but it's filled with real feelings of emotion that radiate from the screen. The film doesn't have any good guys or bad guys, and it isn't a horror tale as it won't happen to you due to both individuals being willing participants. It just unfolds this strange tale of how the Internet brought these two together, who would have otherwise never met as they're several states over. Though Nancy had stacking problems that were becoming too much to handle, and this was her way of finding an answer to solve it all by including this man to take charge of her life without question. The amount of blind trust she put into him might say more about herself than him. If you missed 'em see my profile and click chronological for first review "Grimm Love" or the second "Cannibal." Also submitted on http://fromblacktoredfilmreviews.blogspot.com/

tiny amount of exploitment, as the story is said to be inspired by true events and the direction does underline a bit. This is where I drop the score one point. It's a difficult scenario with inspired by true stories, as you can't really know what the directors motive was to put this on screen. Is it his affection for subjects portrayed here or the fact that he wants to make people think about unfortunate people you don't often see on the media.Maria Bello portrays an utterly depressed woman who has been abused as a child and can no longer connect with her husband Rufus Sewell . She then contacts a man Jason Patrick online who agrees to kill her. The story jumps right into it and is not 100 % linear, which is a bit distracting here and there, but also works for the benefit of the dark story.There are as many sides to the story as there are characters involved. It could be seen as a directorial success that even tho the story is partly seen thru his husband, it still manages to keep him as a bit of a mystery. The focus is always on Nancy. There are a lot of scenes where Nancys husband is shown after Nancy leaves to meet her killer, but we are never really let inside the husbands thoughts. On the other hand, Nancy's character may be underlined too much. Is this a directorial decision to focus on Nancy's need for attention or just to have as many scenes as possible to show Nancys downfall, I don't know. I'm guessing it's all intentional as the movie is quite well crafted and every detail seems to be there for a reason.There is one scene in particular which had a tremendous impact on me. The one where she starts a food war during a bleak dinner. This is probably the only moment in the movie where you can see a spark in her eye. Only to be shot down immediately by her husbands reaction.Where this movie may fail a bit is that it is easy to see the husband as a baddie. Or at least this is how I take it from the reviews written here. Had the story been portrayed from another perspective, we could've seen a tormented man who has focused on his hobby to stay sane in a non working, infertile marriage. There are people who are unable to show their feelings. Nancy had a tragic past, but this could also be a case of bad matchmaking to begin with.A word of praise must go to Jason Patrick, who makes an unbelievably chilling role. It's completely new, never seen a character like his played on screen. There are scenes where his eyes show zero emotion, yet at times you can feel his empathy and care. I read he replaced Ray Liotta and this is a small victory. Liotta has played so many psycho roles that he would've watered down the whole movie. Jason Patrick hasn't been in a lot of movies and thinking about it now, he's a perfect choice for the role.I read somewhere that the director credits his homeland Sweden. He points out that only Finnish people may be more depressed than they. Maybe it is the fact that I'm Finnish that I really felt this movie and didn't see it pointless and slow waste of time as some have said it to be.

person who says crazy things when online and perhaps a little intoxicated , you should bear in mind that someone might really believe what you said. Because of this risk, if you are someone who reads an online statement from someone, you should take it with a proverbial "grain of salt" until you actually meet the person if that ever happens . However, if it seems genuine, you should probably follow through with it like in this movie; I would applaud the makers heartily .I think I have just added an extra layer of complexity to online dating, but so-be-it. You can always buy me off with an offer of Colt 45.Cheers infomaven

close the ridiculous. But director Johan Renck brings it all home and you can only feel the pain. Or is that really what you're supposed to feel?

character, in saying that, Maria Bello is a tremendously watchable actress and no matter what kind of role she's in she always shines.This film has a fascinating subject matter, the thought of someone being so unhappy in life that they would go to the extreme of paying someone to torture and kill them is truly sad. This film is loosely based in fact so it's not Luke we can just say " it's only a movie", also this is not just a one off thing, another film tackles the same subject, Grimm Love, starring Keri Russell also has the same story line, that movie is much more horrific and graphic but it deals with the same issue of people being unhappy in life.This movie isn't something to cheer you up, it's most certainly not going to do that, but if you like movies that will divide a room and start a conversation then this is one for you.I wish this movie had found a bigger audience because it's so deserving of a wide audience, I really hope Maria Bello gets more roles like this in the future. She's just excellent.