Nancy, Please (2012)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2012
Running Time	81:38
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Andrew Semans
Studio Distributor	Curious Film	Starring	Will Rogers Rebecca Lawrence Eleonore Hendricks Santino Fontana
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Chris White

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Two years after completing his undergraduate degree, postgraduate student Paul (Will Rogers) is struggling to turn in any chapters of his thesis and is being threatened with being withdrawn from the program. Things seem to be looking up when Paul moves into a house with his girlfriend Jen (Rebecca Lawrence). However, Paul discovers that when moving he left behind his annotated copy of Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit, which Paul considers essential to writing his thesis. He contacts his old housemate Nancy (Eleonore Hendricks) about getting his book back, but she is less than cooperative. What starts as a minor annoyance quickly escalates into an obsession as Paul’s efforts to retrieve the book become more and more frantic, and Nancy becomes more and more stubborn. Paul is encouraged in this attempts to get the book by his academic friend Charlie (Santino Fontana), who makes things worse, although Jen tries to be a voice of reason.

     Very quickly Pauls obsession with the book affects his relationship with Jen and threatens to unravels his academic career. Indeed, Nancy’s non-cooperation becomes an excuse for Paul not to take responsibility for his life and his actions, so even when Jen manages to retrieve the book Paul is unable to put the past behind him.

     In Nancy, Please first time feature writer / director Andrew Semans has crafted a psychological study of compulsive obsession, unreasonableness, and stubbornness. In places the film is tense and interesting but, with the possible exception of Jen, no one is particularly likeable and indeed Paul comes over as quite pathetic. He is the central character and everything is seen from his perspective, and thus the film relies heavily upon the performance of Will Rogers who for me does not carry the role off convincingly. Eleonore Hendricks, as the shadowy Nancy, is better and the last scene in the film, where we finally get an insight into Nancy’s backstory and motivation, is quite well done.

     Nancy, Please has potential and the climax is interesting but Will Rogers does not make the main character very interesting. As everything is seen from his perspective, I found it difficult to be involved or sympathetic.

Video

     The DVD cover of Nancy, Please indicates the film is an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. However, my computer shows it as 1.85:1 which, although IMDb does not list it, I think is the original ratio. The print is 16x9 enhanced.

     The print has some issues. It looks soft and the exterior scenes are very bright looking, although interiors are fine. Colours are muted but natural; it is an autumn setting after all. Blacks are fine but shadow detail in a number of scenes is so indistinct it is difficult to make out what is happening.

     There was occasional slight ghosting with movement but no marks. The bigger issue is that between 67:39 and about 73:00 where there are a number of macro-blocking errors and frame jumps.

     There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track at 448 Kbps.

     For all intents and purposes this is a stereo track as I noticed nothing in the rears, not even music. Not that the film needed anything much, as there was almost no action as such. Dialogue is easy to hear and centred and the limited effects OK. The only time I noticed any sub-woofer activity was when it occasionally added bass to the score.

     The score by Chris White is not very noticeable, but nor was it disruptive.

     Lip synchronisation is fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are no extras, not even a trailer. The only menu item was play film.

     The Region 1 US of Nancy, Please looks to be the same as our Region All release. There is not currently a Region 2 UK version.

     Nancy, Please is a psychological study of compulsive obsession, unreasonableness, and stubbornness. In places it is tense and interesting and the climax almost makes the film worthwhile, but the main characters are not particularly likeable or interesting.

     The video has some issues, the audio may as well be stereo. There are no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall