Downloading Nancy (2008) NR - 2 Stars

When I saw the name of this movie, I had to see it since it had to do with computers, and the main character is named Nancy. However, this is one dark bizarre depressing movie. Based loosely on the true story of Nancy Stockwell, who canvased the Internet to find someone to kill her and end her misery. The film really takes some time to get going and seems confusing at the beginning but I wasn't ready for where it was going.
 
The story... The wife is bored at home, been sexually abused as a child and wants to end it in a violent struggle. She meets an abusive man on line and hooks up with him to be pleased, tortured and eventually killed by him. But this sicko man loves the abuse so much himself and turns up at the Nancy's home in hopes of being tortured by her husband. Yes I do have it in my bizarre category.

Nancy Stockwell (Maria Bello), has lived most of her life with depression. From her early childhood abuse, she's learn to take comfort in self-inflicted pain. She lives with her husband Albert (Rufus Sewell), but is not satisfied in their marriage. While Albert is at work, Nancy leaves him a note saying she is going away to visit an old friend. She never calls her husband and when she doesn't return in a timely manner, Albert learns she's been using the computer to meet men like Louis Farley (Jason Patric). It seems Nancy's has been trying to recruit men on-line to kill her as she's can't take her life on her own. When she meets Louis, their attraction is strong and Albert's discovers this is who Nancy is with to plan her murder.

Tule River Films, World Premiere Entertainment

Director: Johan Renck

Writers: Pamela Cuming, Lee Ross
Producers: Igor Kovacevich, David Moore, Cole Payne

I viewed 4/11

The Way Back (2010) PG13 - 4 Stars

Based loosely on the true story of three men who, in 1941, survived a 4000 mile walk across five countries in hopes of gaining their freedom. This movie is dedicated in their honor while taking it's own creative directions. What an incredible story of perseverance and courage to set forth on an impossible journey. To think a group actually made this journey shows amazing determination.

Just before WWII, and faced with eternal imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp, a group of escapees begin their walk to freedom that crosses the dehydrated Gobi Desert and the frozen mountains of the Himalayas.

A group of 4 imprisoned men of a Siberian Labor camp plan their escape. They've found a way to get out of the camp though freedom lies many miles away. First, they must cross the Gobi Desert and if they make it that far, their next challenge is climbing the snow covered Himalayas. The men are determined this is their last chance at freedom by reaching and India.

Janusz (Jim Sturgess), Valka (Colin Farrell), Khabarov (Mark Strong), and Voss (Gustaf Skarsgård), make up part of the group of 8 men. Janusz has experience with living in the forest and his leadership evades the groups recapture. As they gain distance between their captors, they finally begin to smell freedom as the head for their destination. A young teenage girl Irena (Saoirse Ronan), has been trailing the group for a while in hopes of joining them for protection. She is alone and risks capture and begs the men to accept her promising to not slow them down. They finally break and decide she can hitch a ride. As they travel across the Gobi Desert, the group is faced with death amongst them and must make the moral decisions of when to leave members of their group behind.

Awards Include:
2011 - Irish Film and Television Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Film

Point Blank Productions, On the Road
Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Peter Weir, Keith R. Clarke
Producers: Tobin Armbrust, Duncan Henderson, Peter Weir

I viewed 8/12