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May 09, 2006
Dark themes highlight Hard Candy
When television first caught on, critics worried about the dangers of what was being broadcast into the home. With the advent of the Internet, that danger is no longer what is being let in, but who. The controversial new film Hard Candy, directed by David Slad, is a thrilling character drama about Internet seduction, torture and revenge. It should be noted, however, that the subject mater is very adult and may not be for everybody.
The film opens with an instant message dialogue between an older man and a teenage girl as they agree to meet for coffee. They chat over dessert and we learn that Hayley is only 14, while her date, Jeff, is 32. They are very nonchalant about the situation, which only adds to the building unease as she agrees to go back to his place. Once there, she refuses the drink he pours, insisting on mixing them herself just to be safe.
Not long later it is Jeff who wakes up after being drugged and tied to a chair. She makes threats of castration and isn’t above using force as the two engage in heated dialogue about the morality of Jeff’s actions and the consequences of hers.
Hayley and Jeff are, for all practical purposes, the only characters in the film and spend most of the time in his house. With lesser actors the movie could have been stagnant, melodramatic or just plain unwatchable. Thankfully, Hard Candy is driven forward by two strong and compelling performances. Ellen Page (next seen as Kitty Pryde in X-Men 3) plays Hayley in a true breakout performance. Though she was 17 when she filmed the movie, she looks every bit the 14-year-old she plays. Page’s performance is dark and complex, making Hayley at once someone to be pitied and feared. Jason Patrick, as Jeff, is able to elicit sympathy from the audience, even while playing a pedophile, but he can also inspire disgust and rage.
The film is graciously not overly graphic in its sexual content or in the violence of Jeff’s torture. As director, David Slade takes a Hitchcock approach, remembering that what the mind imagines is always scarier than what can be shown on screen. Additionally, the intensity of the film is truly brought along by the sharp dialogue. It shocks with its frank sexual conversations and its surprisingly successful use of black comedy.
The film is a battle of wits between the torturer and her captive as each struggle with the dire situation. Elements of the film perhaps took matters too far for comfort and created a situation that could not have a victor, or even a hero to cheer for, which made the ending less than satisfying.
But as the credits began to role, I was sure that I had seen a well made and unique thriller for adults, sure to inspire debate among its audience.
Posted by dwright at May 9, 2006 01:56 PM
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