Rape and pedophilia are very serious issues. They are very, very serious issues. These very serious issues of course have been dealt with in very serious movies. Hard Candy isn't one of those movies. It throws subtly and seriousness out the window, and trades it in for exploitation and thrills. The end result is amazingly the second best theater experience I had in 2006, only second to the charmingly over the top Running Scared.
Right off the back let me say that Hard Candy is not about sexual predators on the internet, rape, or pedophilia. All these things are plot elements for sure, but not the film's main focus. The main complaint I've heard about this film though is that it doesn't deal with its subject matter in a realistic and mature way. I agree, but the thing is that it's not trying to. The film is more about the nature of revenge and man's ability to make judgments upon others. It has more in common with Kill Bill then it does with The Woodsman or any other film that has dealt with the same subject matter.
That is just the disclaimer that I'm going to give you to possibly help with your enjoyment of the film, now onto the actual review.
First time feature film director David Slade is pretty masterful in his twisted tale of an internet predator who meets a fourteen year old girl at a coffee shop. From the opening scene on, we're treated to a mysterious game of cat and cat where you're unsure of who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, who's right and who's wrong, who's the predator and who's the prey. The film only has a cast of five actors, and almost all of the runtime is devoted to Ellen Page playing our damsel and Patrick Wilson playing the big bad wolf.
The film is never boring though. The lengthy dialogue between the two is lively and interesting, and as I mentioned before it becomes hard to tell who to really trust. There's a lot of violence, characters in bondage, chases, and deathtraps that keep the movie suspenseful. This isn't the type of film where you know if a character is going to make it okay or not. In fact it's hard to know what's going to happen next from one frame to the next.
A whole section of the film is devoted to one of the character's losing a very important body part. Intense isn't strong enough a word to describe this chunk of the film. It transcends intense and go into some icky territory that requires Webster to conjure up some new word from the darkest pits of Hell to truly define it. What's fun about this section is that while you may squirm in your seat, it never feels like the movie is trying to gross you out or shock you. This is probably due to the fact that while the scene is incredibly disturbing, it has a lot of restraint in what it shows you. You see enough and hear enough to want to close your eyes, but never too much that you actually turn away from the screen.
For a movie that really is so over the top, it seems rather grounded in reality. In fact I didn't even realize how over the top this film was till someone pointed out to me how insane and pulpy some of things in this movie truly were. That's the beauty of it though; I was able to suspend my disbelief without even thinking about it. No matter how crazy the plot eventually becomes, the strong script and great acting keep it grounded.
The acting is very strong. Ellen Page is incredibly well cast and marvelous in a very multi-layered part. She was the real shining star in this summer's X-Men 3 and really shows what a talented lady she is in this film.
Don't expect a deep film about sexual predators, but also don't expect a fun thriller. The film is entertaining, but it ultimately leaves you feeling dirty and unsure of yourself. As I said, there are no clear good guys, and while it seems that the film is making a statement, it's very unclear what that statement is. That dirty feeling is well worth it though, as are most dirty feelings.
"Hard Candy" opens April 28, 2006 and is rated R. Drama, Thriller. Directed by David Slade. Written by Brian Nelson. Starring Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson, Sandra Oh.
