As of right this second, I believe I'm one of maybe only two or three people who actually liked Downloading Nancy. And it's strange because people look at you weird when you don't agree with them -- as if you're an idiot who has no idea how to form an opinion. I'm cool with that though; just this week Cinematical's Scott Weinberg was dealing with the same thing when it came to The Wackness; only he hated it whereas everyone else loved it. Same thing happened last year when I wrote an early review of 300 panning it, after several screenings full of fanboys loved it. Why has it become so wrong to move against the tide? And it's not just for the sake of being different; I posted my review of Nancy long before anyone else had something up.

One commenter called me an "easy lay" for liking a film no one else did. Why am I an "easy lay?" Should I arrive to every screening with a 10-foot pole up my ass, juggling dictionaries, while waiting to hear what ten other people thought of the film before writing a review so that, afterwards, I could stand in the critic circle-jerk with a smile and a nod and a few witty responses stuffed into my back pocket? Is that the appropriate thing to do? To be accepted? Look, when I leave a screening at a festival, I'm usually writing the review immediately afterward without much time to sit with a film and think about it. Thus, you're getting my gut reactions -- most of which are still pretty spot on after some time has passed. In the case of Downloading Nancy, I still feel the same way I did yesterday. It's a strong film that's hard to enjoy, but that's what makes it fun.

Which movies have you either liked or disliked when everyone else you know felt the exact opposite?

Last night I watched Downloading Nancy, though perhaps a more accurate verb would be "endured." Erik Davis' very positive review is here; let me just say that I respectfully disagree with my boss, and that if he weren't my boss my disagreement would be a lot less respectful. (J/K, Erik! I'm totally J/K.)

I hated this movie. It's ugly and loathsome and crass, and for no good reason. But what I found funny was that it had, of all things, product placement. One character is seen with a can of Diet Pepsi in four different scenes. In another one, someone asks if he wants a drink, and specifically suggests Pepsi.

And you have to think: Did Pepsi pay for this? Did the filmmakers approach Pepsi and say, "Hey, listen, we're making a really vile and unpleasant movie about a messed-up woman who wants to be sexually and physically abused, and who meets a stranger on the Internet specifically for that reason. And we think it would be awesome if her uncaring, unemotional husband -- the one who has partially driven her to this -- were an avid Diet Pepsi drinker. What do you say?"

Actually, now that I think about it, I wonder if the product placement was actually paid for by Coke. That would make more sense, wouldn't it? "Diet Pepsi: The choice of a sexually dead and emotionally unfeeling generation!"

I'm right in the middle of a "heavy drama" movie marathon, and I seriously think I'm about to lose my mind. I haven't seen one comedy yet; one somewhat funny flick. All hardcore -- hardcore abuse, hardcore sex, hardcore violence, hardcore love. God. First it started with Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (rape themes), then onto Dear Zachary (violence, murder themes), then to Incendiary (adultery, violence themes), then to Downloading Nancy (rape, sexual abuse, adultery, violence themes) and my marathon will conclude tonight with Choke (sexual addiction themes). Yeah. If it wasn't for James' hysterical impressions of me and my thick New York accent (last night Scott made him do Erik Davis interviewing Christopher Walken and we were in stitches), then I'm not sure I'd make it through this depressing streak of flicks.

Most common quote from festival moviegoers regarding films they've previously watched: "It wanted to be something it wasn't."

Most common quote from Cinematical's Scott Weinberg upon first meeting up with a fellow critic: "Can I ask you -- did you see The Wackness? WTF, man! Just because other people love it doesn't mean I have to f**king love that film."

James' favorite piece of overheard dialogue: "I'm glad I finally saw something I hated -- so far it's all been mediocre."

Check out pics from the Downloading Nancy premiere in the gallery below ...

Sundance Festival Director Geoff Gilmore introduced Downloading Nancy as "the most intense film of the festival." Not only is he absolutely right, but it's also powerful, emotional, overwhelming and, most importantly, extremely uncomfortable. God bless whoever takes a chance on this film and attempts to market it, honestly, to a mass audience, because Downloading Nancy is a sick and twisted rollercoaster ride that climbs fast and drops slowly ... leaving you plenty of time to absorb its raw insanity along the way.

Should this film get picked up and play in theaters at some point during the year, then I'd be completely shocked if Maria Bello doesn't wind up with an Oscar nod for best actress in 2009. Sure, it's a little early to be saying that, but this woman gives the performance of the festival -- and of her career -- as a lonely, emotionless wife on the brink of complete self destruction. There aren't many actresses who can successfully pull off what Bello does here; hers is the sort of role that comes up every once in a blue moon and completely paralyzes you for two hours as you sit and try to comprehend how in the world a person could convincingly become this tragic character just from reading a script.

We recently brought you news that Maria Bello is about to start shooting a new thriller called Downloading Nancy. While it might sound like some sort of Weird Science update where the kids download a woman from the Internet, it is actually about a suicidal wife who doesn't have the guts to do the deed herself. Instead, she hires a hitman to do it for her. To throw a further wrench into the woman's troubled life, they form a relationship which makes it hard for the man to finish his job. As of last week, Bello's co-star was to be Ray Liotta.

Well, now more casting news has come from Production Weekly, and Liotta's name is nowhere to be found. The actress' co-stars are now listed as Jason Patric and Danny Huston. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that Huston's involvement is not as another "husband of the star" -- that's getting old. However, I wouldn't get settled in these casting choices. There is still just over a week before Johan Renck is set to start filming, so there's enough time for the filmmakers to make even more changes. According to PW, William Hurt was also set to star. Now this is one hell of a melange of different actors -- Hurt, Liotta and now either Patric or Huston.

Stay tuned, we might have a whole new cast list next week!

The description of this film sounds a little familiar -- maybe you can help me out here. I'm talking about a film highlighted in a recent article up over at Production Weekly called Donwloading Nancy which will star the smokin' Maria Bello and Ray Liotta. According to the article, Bello and Liotta have recently signed on to the pic which tells the story of Nancy (played by Bello) an unhappy wife who, instead of offing herself via suicide, decides to hire a hit man (played by Liotta) over the Internet to do the deed.

Unfortunately, problems arise, as they often do when hiring hit men over the Internet, and the two form a relationship which makes it very difficult for the hit man to finish the job. The pic, to be directed by yet-another former commercial and music video helmer with no feature experience named Johan Renck, was written by Lee Ross and Tamela Cunning -- with Renck also working on a draft with the writers as well. Again, maybe its just me but this story sounds pretty familiar -- like the movie Bulworth -- only this time its a woman hiring the hit man and there's no Warren Beatty.

That doesn't mean this movie will end up being bad or anything. Sometimes familiar is a good thing, and I really like Maria Bello; most of her more-recent choices, like The Cooler and Thank You for Smoking, have been stellar. She has good taste in material, so maybe there's something to this one after all. I guess we'll find out soon enough because production on the film is scheduled to start next week in Regina, Saskatchewan.