Sundance Review: ‘Downloading Nancy’ Fails to Connect

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 22, 2008

Nothing clears a room like some gratuitous graphic sexual deviance. And you would think that with Maria Bello in the lead role, the target of most of the sexual wackiness and abnormal behavior, that at least the movie would be stimulating — but it is not. Downloading Nancy is nothing short of a travesty. An interesting concept that didn’t need anything more than a little more gravitas. Ok, a lot more gravitas.

Downloading Nancy tells the story of Nancy (Maria Bello, Thank You for Smoking), a woman with a brutal sexual history that has lost herself thanks to her broken marriage and her broken sense of self. Desperate to find relief for the pain that plagues her ever waking moment, she constantly cuts herself to feel alive. Not finding salvation in the cutting, Nancy reaches out to a stranger (Jason Patric, Narc) via the internet in order to find someone who will give her some tough love, then help her be released from her treacherous life.

From moment one, the color pallete of director Johan Renck’s film is depressing; so much so that it had me wanting to run to the bathroom and cut myself as well. And that was before I discovered what a tedious bore the film would turn out to be. Maria Bello’s performance was sufficient, but the story itself really had no direction, no purpose and certainly nothing that would accomplish the goal of the film.

Perhaps the goal of the film was to go for shock value — lets show them some really messed up sexual behavior and it will enrage audiences — the only problem there is that by the time the shocking stuff begins to happen, most people have either left the theater, fallen asleep or begun to send emails on their Blackberries. Maybe they wanted us to feel for the main character, a whacked out woman whose scarred past and bland present lead her toward her end. Unfortunately, there is nothing about Nancy to love, thus she gets no pity from the audience. In the end, we won’t feel sorry for her no matter the outcome.

To be as blunt as possible, this is one of those movies that brought much potential into the Sundance Film Festival only to have all the air let out of its balloon faster than film buyers in the industry screening could scamper toward the bright green exit signs. With zero marketability other than to a few sickos on the furthest depths of the interwebs, Downloading Nancy is a complete waste. The only thing it proved is that the only thing that could clear a room faster than graphic sexual deviance is a terrible film.

Grade: F


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  • Since when has graphic sexual deviance cleared out a movie theater?
  • Alright... Movie theater full of stuffy critics.
  • Tom S
    Having seen the Monday morning screening of Downloading Nancy, I ran into one of the film's writers. She asked me if I liked the movie. The answer to that question was a tricky one.

    I told her that the film wasn't a film that the viewer would like or dislike in the traditional sense of movies. There are films that gives you a glimpse of something that's happening in other people's lives, something you'll never experience, perhaps something that you never knew existed and almost certainly something that is shocking and perhaps distasteful. Downloading Nancy is one of those films.

    You can debate talking points like art direction and editing, but in the end this is the type of film that makes you do something that not very many people like to do—think. If that's not what you're into fine, go see Sex in the City: The Movie. That's just as valid a cinematic effort as this film, but one that serves a different purpose, to entertain not inform.

    Don't slag a film because it makes you uncomfortable or because it might not have mass audience appeal, that's not what makes a film good or bad or why films like Downloading Nancy get made. The only waste of time here is for the movie goers who read your review expecting some insight.
  • Alright Tom, you are actually right.

    Perhaps I should have provided more insight into the fact that the movie was just dreadfully slow and lacked any sort of depth. When I write reviews, I tend to look at how the film makes me feel -- which is my great opportunity.

    I agree that this film attempts to give us insight into the lives of people whose experiences are very different than our own -- absolutely nothing wrong with that. The problem is that the combination of editing, character development and the bleak color tones of the film all leave the audience disinterested in the characters. Thus, it becomes a rather frustrating experience. The problem is that Downloading Nancy is not engaging whatsoever.

    I didn't give the film an F just because I didn't like the subject matter -- it is actually the opposite. I gave the film an F because I dare not lead my readers into such a frustrating experience. There are so many more films out there that are worth the time of moviegoers than this one. Hopefully that provides more insight -- maybe not. It's ok. I will try better for you next time.
  • Miguel Lerner
    I think Downloading Nancy is a remarkable movie. Yes the tone is dark as well as the cinematography, but if you take in consideration that that is exactly how the lead character (Nancy) feels, it makes total sense.

    At the end of the movie I was overwhelmed. I was not able to move for like about 15 minutes. It makes me sad to think that there are women out there who replaces love for pain, and that they think there is no way out other than death.

    Maria Bello's performance is brave. It reminds me when "Requiem For a Dream" came out , most critics hated it. Ellen Bursty nabbed an Oscar nod and most likely will happen the same with Bello.
  • tyler rose
    A reviewer should probably state why the "editing, character development and the bleak color tones" make the audience disinterested, not just that they supposedly do. evidence for your claims, as they taught you in school (presumably). Lacking this, you come off as a sissy ponce whining about a perfectly legitimate choice (said tones).
  • Rhonda Biel
    I find it ironic that you blame the film for failing to connect, Mr. Miller. That you write it off as either depressing or just going for shock value. You could be Albert asking Nancy once more to please just knock it off.

    Are these characters so different from the general public? How many of us are in loveless marriages? Were abused as kids and told it was love? Use trivial distractions to avoid the challenge of real relationship? Or try to feel *anything* by engaging in self-harm? When's the last time you woke up with a hangover from the night before?

    I found this movie to be heartwrenchingly sad, and extraordinarily moving. The performances drew me in, and I became INVOLVED. I wanted to change their behavior. I wanted to save them. The story was hard to watch, yes. And I've had to think about a lot of dark things because of it. But I appreciate having my buttons pushed. It makes me grow.
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