May 24th, 2013 
Justin Proper 
Movie: Nancy, Please
Director: Andrew Semans
Writer: Will Heinrich, Andrew Semans
Studio: Small Coup Films
A simple case of writers block spirals out of control in slow motion in this drama laced with black humor.
We all know what it is like to feel stuck. Whether it is a paper you are having trouble writing for school, a painting you do not know how to finish, or even where to start on fixing your old car, we have all been there at some point. At it’s core, this is what Nancy, Please is all about, and that makes it a movie that will strike a chord with most viewers.
Nancy, Please is about Paul (Will Rogers), a PhD candidate at Yale who recently moved in to a new house with his girlfriend Jen (Rebecca Lawrence). Paul is in the process of writing his dissertation but realizes that he left a book that is crucial to his paper at his old place. This is no easy task as his old roommate Nancy (Eleonore Hendricks) is less than cooperative in returning the book. Things soon begin to get out of hand as Paul’s retrieval of his lost object becomes an obsession that slowly takes over his life.
This film’s one sided story telling may be slower than what you are used to, but the payoff is well worth the pace. Paul starts off as a seemingly normal person but over the course of the 80 minute film he deteriorates into a man so far gone from where you started he is almost an entirely different character. Will Rogers’ skillful and subtle acting make Paul really come to life. If you have ever witnessed a friend gradually obsess over something until it becomes a major problem you will instantly feel like Paul is a real person.
Nancy, Please is mostly serious, but at times I found myself laughing out loud at the absurdity of what Paul was doing. There is plenty of dark comedy mixed in with the drama (especially when Paul is trying to deal with a squirrel that is living in his walls) which keeps the film from feeling burdened or lethargic. In stark contrast to the other characters, the rarely seen Nancy is…well…seemingly irrational and insane. Perhaps it is just how Paul has painted her in his head, or maybe she truly is just a “crazy bitch”.
Nancy, Please will be in NYC theaters through the rest of May, and then On Demand and iTunes starting on June 11th. If you get a chance to see it you wont regret it.
Score: B
Review written by: Justin Proper
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