cageybird
You don't have to have any identification with the issues to truly appreciate this moving piece of cinema. I cannot understand the bad reviews. Thanks to the incredible acting of the three main leads, the pain of Nancy is so palpable that the ending comes as as relief, not only for her, but for the audience as well. There are no good guys, or bad guys. Sewell as the cold and emotionless husband is as deserving of pity by the end as Nancy and her internet friend.As a piece of film-making this is an exemplary effort - the acting, the production design, the music and not least of all the direction, cannot fail to move.I am pretty much hard as nails (I didn't even cry at ET!) but this film has stayed with me ever since I first saw it, and loses none of its power on every viewing. Not that you want to watch it too many times.Fans of alternative cinema will love it - A profoundly moving cinematic cry for help. I thought it was horribly beautiful.
David R. Philip
Disclaimer--only because of some of the other reviewers remarks: I'm not a religious type who's shocked by graphic sexual violence; I thought "Irreversible" was quite well done. I don't need a happy Disney ending--in fact I prefer a despairing ending sometimes (most of the time). I don't usually mind a slower pace either.This film doesn't get a low grade because of its principal actors--all three of whom actually perform difficult, unexplored roles skillfully. A film, however, is more than just the acting. The low grade goes primarily to the painfully slow pace, and perhaps to what further slowed the pace; the bland music that lulled me into not caring about anyone or anything. By the end I was hoping that Patric's character would hurry up and kill Bello's character, and Sewell's character would kill Patric's... or someone would please kill me, either quickly or painfully, because I can't feel while I'm watching a sleeping pill like this. The whole experience felt like a drag, and it's not even a very long film. It's a real shame because the quality of the acting deserves a stronger vehicle.
lastliberal
The question is, Is this film worth watching? Of course it is, if for nothing else but to see Maria Bello's Indy Award nominated performance. Don't let the fact that it went straight to video dissuade you.It is not a pretty movie. Watching the effects of child sexual abuse never is. Watching someone engage in self-mutilation to mask the pain is, in a word, painful.Bello (A History of Violence, The Cooler) was, of course, perfect for the role. Rufus Sewell played the husband, who was more of an enigma. It was never clear whether he was just a jerk who was obsessed with golf, or if 15 years of marriage to Nancy (Bello) just wore him down.Nancy finds Louis (Jason Patric), someone on the Internet she wants to kill her. They end up having a relationship, if you want to call it that.In the end, I am not sure whether he kills her or whether she kills herself. It really doesn't matter. It was a dark, twisted film with very little music and washed out cinematography. It set the mood, but it is easy to see why this film would get no buyers at Sundance.People don't go to the movies to get more depressed, and this one will do just that.
peedur
Crimelibrary has an account of a suburban Baltimore, MD woman whose story is markedly similar to this film in the broad facts.However, the movie departs from that story when exploring the protagonist's psychology - Maria Bello plays a very different character from that of Sharon Lopatka. The film tries to link contradicting pathologies which weren't present in the real story, and which would be fine if there was a point - there doesn't seem to be. Unlike Michael Haneke's, "La Pianiste," there seems to be a poor grasp or care about the underlying chaos of this character beyond the dramatic possibilities. Maria Bello's performance is admirable but the narrative fails to draw significant meaning from the substance of her struggle.While there is an attempt to create a dark, grim sheen to the film, the casting of two very pretty Hollywood stars (Bello and Patric) was an epic blunder. It adds an unwelcome 'allure' to a tale which should remain, frankly, indigestible. Marketable, sexy actors transform this fascinating story into something weirdly, sadly exploitative. Jason Patric is such a poor choice - it couldn't be any more distracting if it were Brad Pitt! (It might have felt more grounded with actors like James Gandolfini and Kathy Bates... ).Rufus Sewell is captivating here and brings a needed realism in his portrayal of the bewildered husband.
AD
