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"Hard Candy" has been tagged by many as the most controversial thriller of the year. Though I wouldn't go so far as to place it among the top flight of thrillers, it is certainly intriguing. It turns the tables on the viewers and characters, teasing out a virtuoso performance from Ellen ... Read review
A smart, charming teenage girl, Hayley (Ellen Page) probably shouldn't be going to a local ... more
coffee shop to meet Jeff (Patrick Wilson), a 30-something fashion photographer she met on the Internet. But before she knows it, she's mixing drinks at Jeff's place and stripping for an impromptu photo shoot. It's Jeff's lucky night. But Hayley isn't as innocent as she looks, and the night takes a sinister turn for the worse when she begins to exact her unique brand of revenge on Jeff for scandalous crimes she believes he has committed in the past.
Hard Candy American Girls Good Time If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead) ... more
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A smart and charming teenage girl Hayley probably shouldn't be going to a local coffee ... more
shop to meet Jeff a 30 something fashion photographer she met on the internet. But before she knows it she's mixing drinks at Jeff's place and stripping off for an impromptu photo shoot. It's Jeff's lucky night. But Hayley isn't as innocent as she looks and the night takes a turn when she begins to impose a hard hitting investigation on Jeff in an attempt to reveal his possibly scandalous past.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Advantages: Great perfomance from Ellen Page, an intriguing thriller Disadvantages: Doesn't quite live up to all the hype
Hayley and Jeff meet through an internet chat-room, get on like a house on fire and decide to meet in a coffee shop. But Jeff is a thirty-something man and Hayley is a fourteen year-old schoolgirl. Together they go back to his place, but after a couple of rounds of vodka things take a turn for the worse…for Jeff, that is, as he wakes to finds himself tied up and accused of killing another teenage girl that disappeared from the same coffee shop. Hayley ... ...lengths to get a confession - even resorting to some amateur surgery.
Former pop-promo director David Slade brings a sense of immediacy to this low-budget thriller. It unspools practically in real time, giving a feeling of palm-sweating tension to parts of the movie. He uses hand-held digital video that adds an almost documentary quality and allows the camera into spaces you wouldn't be able to fit traditional film apparatus into. ... more
Hayley and Jeff meet through an internet chat-room, get on like a house on fire and decide to meet in a coffee shop. But Jeff is a thirty-something man and Hayley is a fourteen year-old schoolgirl. Together they go back to his place, but after a couple of rounds of vodka things take a turn for the worse…for Jeff, that is, as he wakes to finds himself tied up and accused of killing another teenage girl that disappeared from the same coffee shop. Hayley is convinced of his guilt and will go to any lengths to get a confession - even resorting to some amateur surgery.
Former pop-promo director David Slade brings a sense of immediacy to this low-budget thriller. It unspools practically in real time, giving a feeling of palm-sweating tension to parts of the movie. He uses hand-held digital video that adds an almost documentary quality and allows the camera into spaces you wouldn't be able to fit traditional film apparatus into. So it moves like a silent third-person narrator. There are plenty of intimate close-ups and a sense of claustrophobia that comes during some of the most uncomfortable moments when you see the reaction instead of action (though a few squidgy gynaecological noises help to make everything crystal clear). Slade's background in music videos means he isn't afraid to experiment with what the camera can do; at times we see soporific slow-motion that lends a lyrical quality to the camerawork. However, the director's origins also show themselves in his occasional goldfish attention span, which makes for a rather annoying series of flash edits as Jeff Succumbs to Hayley's drug-infused vodka and a very juddery, choppily edited chase sequence. This is an unnecessary device; the shift in pace from the sedentary indoor tension to outdoor hide-and-seek would have been enough. He incorporates tried and tested methods to add to the atmosphere, using blue filters that give Jeff's house an eerie feeling and whistling electrical background noise to set the nerves on edge.
Slade relies heavily on his actors, giving them room to breathe and allowing them to call the shots. They cope well with the task, though there are times when leading man Wilson is a tad too bland for the part. He may be initially charming and stick to his story under extreme duress, but he needs to be a little more predatory on occasion. But this is a minor glitch in an otherwise well-directed piece. The majority of the movie is tightly paced and tautly plotted but hasn't got quite enough tension to sustain it through the hour-and-three-quarters running time. Had it been ten to fifteen minutes shorter and the editing in the last third a touch sharper, this would have been a fantastic thriller. But with an ending that dribbles on a shade too long and one twist too many, it runs out of steam before the credits roll.
Television writer Brian Nelson's sharp script shows a cultural awareness and a critical appreciation of the cinematic sucker punch. He plays with expectations from the very start, first showing Haylely as a naïve schoolgirl before her role as instigator becomes apparent. The result is an involving, morally ambiguous tale that plays as many mind-games with the audience as the characters. Who do you root for when you're not sure who the victim is? Is it the man taking prisoner in his own home, even if he really is a paedophile? Or is it the manipulative, vindictive, possibly deranged teenage girl, even if she is seeking truth and justice? That's the great thing about this film; there are no easy answers. The dialogue is deliciously spiky, crediting Hayley with far more intelligence and nous than most writers can bear to give to a teenager. She's savvy, street-smart and far more cunning than her opponent, though she's not above taunting her prey. As far as Jeff goes, his agenda is clear throughout but Nelson gives him sufficient charm to convince as an attractive proposition to underage girls. The pacing is steady but insistent, keeping things suspenseful throughout most of the movie. The plotting however loses its way towards the closing minutes in a predictable nod to recent convention by throwing in another twist. But overall it is an above-average script.
Ellen Page gives a phenomenal performance as Hayley, nailing both versions of the character; the giddy schoolgirl willing to put herself in danger for kicks and the vindictive, manipulative, downright dangerous teenage vigilante. She can turn from one to the other on a dime showing a frightening versatility and immense cunning. Her clean-cut girl-next-door looks are totally at odds with her cold nature and that's what makes the character such a frightening proposition. She does cold and calculating especially well and hopefully this signals the start of a fulfilling career for Miss Page.
Former Broadway song-and-dance man Patrick Wilson seems an odd choice to play a potential paedophile. But that's only because Hollywood usually paints these characters in such a clear-cut manner. If paedophiles were that easy to spot, we'd all know who to avoid. So the square-jawed looks and apparent charm are a handy double-bluff. Occasional hints of impropriety are all you see and it's easy to empathise with the character throughout much of the movie, but when things take a darker turn, Wilson doesn't over-egg the pudding, giving more of a morally ambiguous turn than you might expect.
The original music by Harry Escott and Molly Nyman is mainly notable for its absence. Director Slade has realise that in such an actor-centric picture there is little need for oodles of incidental music. What is there is simple and to the point, used only when absolutely necessary to add atmosphere. So we get solitary piano motifs backed by synthesized flutes and ticking metronomes, echoing bass reverb or synthesized strings. There's no soundtrack to speak of, only incidental use of faceless loud electronic dance music or splashes of Goldfrapp. So what is there sticks in your mind.
"Hard Candy" has been tagged by many as the most controversial thriller of the year. Though I wouldn't go so far as to place it among the top flight of thrillers, it is certainly intriguing. It turns the tables on the viewers and characters, teasing out a virtuoso performance from Ellen Page that should kickstart her movie career. However, the final few minutes are a tad anti-climactic and the film could have done with a firmer hand in the editing. With a few tweaks here and there it could have been a great film. As it stands it is merely a good one - but that's no bad thing.
Advantages: Compelling two handed movie Disadvantages: I knew too much before viewing thus ruining large elements.
...movie was the tense thriller Hard Candy.
In an internet chatroom a 14 year old girl and a 32 year old man exchange messages, they have been doing so for three weeks. On this particular Saturday however the pair decide to take there relationship beyond the boundaries of the internet. Having similar interests in both music and literature it seems a logical thing to do; however the age issue needs some addressing. The two meet in a coffee shop where ... ...Oscar will be his.
Hard Candy is very much a two handed movie, with other actors putting in minimal performances. Certainly 90 minutes of the movie shows just Page and Wilson performing with each other; as thus I think that the less cultured viewer in respect of thriller movies may find this very hard viewing. The next area for addressing in my eyes is the ridiculous ending. It's a terrible disappointment, the ending requires a certain amount of ...
sghawken 14.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: excellent acting Disadvantages: can get confusing at points
I went to see this film in the cinema only knowing that it was a paedophile storyline. I only went as my friend had no one else to go with.
Anyway... as far as I was concerned the story was the basic storyline, old man chats to young girls in chatroom and wants to meet and does the unthinkable. I WAS WRONG
This film had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through...
Director: David Slade
Hayley: Ellen Page (student)
Jeff: Patrick Wilson (photographer)
... ...two people chatting away in the chatroom planning to meet, one being a young girl(hayley) and one being a male(Jeff). When the two meet, in a public place, they got on very well, they both flirted away even though she was 14 he was in his 30's.
Jeff starts buying her things, which makes the viewers think....AW OHHHHHH its starting - he's luring her in by buying her presents.
If Only he knew...
The two went back to his house just to chill out, ...
lesleyanne18 03.07.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: Brilliant acting, interesting take on a difficult subject Disadvantages: Somewhat ambiguous ending
I went to see this film at the cinema yesterday (Orange Wednesdays are for winners) not knowing much about it. I'd seen the TV advertisements, but they don't give you much of the story. I think the best way to watch this film is to let it surprise you, so I won't give away too much. Just skip the last section if you haven't seen the film yet.
=== The Film === It is a really arty-looking film, and I really liked the fact that it wasn't one of those ... ...wardrobe to show you that's where the bad guy is hiding, (watch White Noise for an example of A Badly Directed Film), it lets you work out a lot of stuff by yourself. I think most people, just knowing its basic storyline involves a paedophile and a young girl, will assume something along the lines of 'creepy old man taking advantage of provocative young girl', and it really challenges all those preconcieved ideas you might start watching it with. ...
sakura42 06.07.2006 (08.07.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: Ellen Page - a future star Disadvantages: A disturbing and uncomforatable topic
Synopsis: Jeff (Patrick Wilson), a man in his early thirties who works as a professional photographer meets a young 14-year-old girl, Haley (Ellen Page) in an Internet chat room. The meet up in a coffee shop and the girl flirts outrageously with him and insists they go back to his place - once there the tables turn and the little 14-year-old turns out to be not all sweetness and innocence after all and in fact turns into something like Hannibal Lecter's ... ...I really wanted to see this movie due to the context of the story but I found this movie intriguing and was glad I went. The story is creative (something lacking in many movies these days) and thought provoking as well as being disturbing and uncomfortable in places. The topic of paedophilia is a difficult one to broach and the screenwriter Brian Nelson and the Director Brian Slade (both making their big screen debuts) do a brilliant job taking an ...
Jamesconnolly75 22.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: Interesting, great twists, unpredictable, thought-provoking. Disadvantages: Alludes to gore in places, will make the squeamish shudder...
When photographer Jeff (known to his chatroom pals as Lensman319) arranges to hook up with Hayley (thonggrrl14), he's completely unaware of where this liaison will take him. Hayley's only 14, but is obviously intelligent and wise beyond her years - there is however a very childlike innocence about her which concerned me from the outset of the film - were they going to portray their sordid relationship as "legitimate"? Were we supposed to accept the ... ...Fortunately, I was mistaken. Once in Jeff's modern flat (with pictures of teenage girls hung on the walls - his 'models', apparently), Hayley's plied with alcohol but the tables soon turn once Jeff passes out and it's revealed that Hayley has drugged him. Hayley goes out of her way to discover Jeff's sordid secrets. She knows he must have something hidden in his house - it's just a case of finding out where. Tied up and helpless, Jeff is completely ...
designsonlife 17.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
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Advantages: Great storyline, lots of twists Disadvantages: Precarious subject
collapses. Is it the sexual predator or the naïve child that we should be worried for?
HardCandy was described as the most controversial thriller of 2006 for dealing with subjects that most other movies wouldn?t dream of even passing by let alone creating an entire movie based around it.
The subject of paedophilia surrounds the entire movie and is the motive for what happens throughout the film, fortunately the film doesn?t go into details like I was half expecting it to, when Hayley finds pictures in Jeff?s safe all you see is the look at Hayley?s face, this works on many levels because you never know exactly what the pictures are of, they could be of anything but of course you could assume that they?re child pornography therefore the director leaves it up to the viewer to make their mind up about Jeff. You never see Jeff touch Hayley ...
Great_reviewer07 20.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: A good thriller with lots of twists. Disadvantages: The subject.
- HARDCANDY-
HardCandy was Released in 2006 and Directed by David Slade (30 Days of Night) Under the Genre Drama/Thriller. Starring Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson, HardCandy is an uncomfortable film that deals with the subject of paedophilia, and it is written by David W Higgins. -
- SYNOPSIS -
The film opens with Hayley (Ellen Page) and Jeff (Patrick Wilson) talking to each other in a 'Teen' chat room on the Internet. As they type out their messages the conversation is gearing towards the sexual. Jeff is open about his age which is thirty two, but nonetheless he is obviously charming and expertly 'grooming' this fourteen year old girl. She in turn is flattered and inquisitive about this man who compliments and flatters her throughout the chat room session. They have been regularly chatting ...
Morning_Becomes_Electra 21.03.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hard Candy (DVD)
Advantages: A tense little thriller Disadvantages: The complete underuse of Sandra Oh
much to the extra's, but its great to see a low budget thriller so well made and dealing effectively with a subject matter that a lot of directors would shy away from. The DVD is available from online retailers and high street stores. ...
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
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