XDA

Went to see Hard Candy with Sheila. I didn't believe it after about 20 minutes but I had a good time. This review will contain some spoilers. The director, David Slade, has done some music videos and not much else. It's a psychological battle of wits always on the edge of becoming a slasher movie and for all intents and purposes it's a two person filmed play. But still not bad. Kind of disturbing, but in a very different way than how Audition was disturbing.

Since it's really just two, I'll concentrate on the actors. The older guy cruising the internet for too young girls is actor Patrick Wilson (not one of the Wilson brothers). He was born in Norfolk, VA in 1973, so he was about the stated age (32) of the pedophile at the time of the film's release. If you're a good movie fan, you saw him in nothing before this. If you'll watch anything you saw him in The Alamo or The Phantom of the Opera. He can sing (although he doesn't in this movie). His better half is a Polish born actress Dagmara Dominczyk. Lucky guy. He does pretty well in a very demanding role, because you never start to hate him or not care what happens to him, despite his, uh, flaws. I think he could make a bit of a breakout here into people thinking he's a serious actor willing to take a risk or two. He certainly has a lot of projects out there, although none of them were familiar to me.

The fourteen year old wunderkind was played by Ellen Page, who was 17 at the time and comes from Halifax, N.S. I see better things before her than the TV she's done apparently most of her life. Her next movie out will be X-Men where she will play Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (whatever that means). She's pretty enough, in a skinny, waif-like way. If I had noticed her when I was, say, 16, I doubt I would have wanted to talk to her even.

The gun involved was a Beretta 92 F. Just thought I'd get that out of the way.

Here is a very partial list of the hard to swallow things: 14 year old skinny girl beating up a 32 year old, 6'1" man with a football scar on his chin; 14 year old possessing date rape drug; 14 year old talking two troubled men into suicide; 14 year old girl wanting to faux torture men so they would commit suicide. I think you can see the connection the hard to swallow parts share.

Here are some mysteries: The relationship of Hayley to the missing girl (the older sister she mentions?); why she's on the roof the first time; why she wants him to kill himself rather than she kill him; why he doesn't burn the porno and call the police when he gets free the FIRST time; whether she really did plan everything (except Sandra Oh). Some of these are difficult to answer, which is why I stopped believing it after a short time in.

I liked their acting and some of the little details were great, the video in the VCR while she's pretending to cut; the joy and wonder on her face as she cracks the safe--she's in a rotkaepchen, a little red riding hoodie, at the end. Nicely done there. It's 103 minutes long and well paced. I'd give it a look.