Hard Candy Review
Posted by Matthew Craggs on 05.02.2006
Ouch. That's gotta hurt.
Cast
Patrick Wilson - Jeff Kohlver
Ellen Page - Hayley Stark
Sandra Oh - Judy Tokuda
Jennifer Holmes - Janelle Rogers
Gilbert John - Nighthawks Clerk
Lions Gate presents a film directed by David Shade. Written by Brian Nelson. Rated R for disturbing violent and aberrant sexual content involving a teen and for language. Runtime 103 minutes.
I was absolutely enthralled with Hard Candy when I saw the trailer. The two minute sampling tells a story of pedophilia. It shows scenes of an adult male, Patrick Wilson, assertively picking up a much younger Ellen Page. They go back to his place and a series of quick cuts with the appropriate score let us know that something intense happens. The message of the trailer seems clear: this is a story of an older man trapping a younger girl, and her attempt to escape. The one word I could think of to describe it was "intense." But things aren't always as they seem.
Yes, the picture starts out that way, as Jeff (Wilson) has a rendezvous with a fourteen year old Hayley (Page). He's charming, but a tad nervous. Almost like he feels guilty for what he's doing. Hayley should probably be more nervous. She is not scared of a thirty two year old who wants to see her naked. They go back to his place, as we expect. It's almost too easy for him. And that's where this film takes a twist, as the predator becomes the prey.
Next thing you know Jeff is waking up in a haze. He was knocked out courtesy of the young lass and, here comes the irony, a spiked drink. What follows is uncomfortable, sometimes painful, and consistently intense tease, as Hayley restrains and tortures the man.
Hayley is familiar with him. In fact, she believes he was related to the disappearance of a local girl. She's followed him through chat rooms and knows he likes them young. Then, the pain comes.
Hayley pulls out some surgical instruments and medical books. She says she is going to castrate Jeff. She may or may not have the hands of a surgeon, but she sure doesn't have the know-how or experience to do it painlessly. Not that she would want to leave Jeff without a little pain. The rest of the story goes into spoiler territory.
Hard Candy interested me in two significant ways.
(1) It is quite curious that a man wrote this film, and the way that men will react to it. There is a feel of a rape fantasy in the film. Perhaps this is my own inaccurate observation, but the male response from this picture is positive. The talk in forums, in magazines, and on the street suggests that men want to see this movie. Why would a man want to see a picture where a man has his penis, the source of his power (kidding), get threatened? Maybe these men are like Jeff and like the idea of a situation where a fourteen year old girl is targeted as a sexual partner, maybe these men are merely interested in the concept, or maybe Hard Candy is a way for the male audience to work through the guilt of living in a world based on patriarchal. Art is a way of working through. What better way to pacify complex feelings of a male dominated world than to see one of our own sacrificed? Afterall, it is easier to take when the sacrificed preys on teen girls.
(2) Nobody wants to see a young girl taken advantage of by a guy like Jeff, but who is the victim? Who is the predator? Hard Candy is clear in both Jeff and Hayley play dual roles. Yes, Jeff should be punished, but is this vigilante justice justified?
Also worth noting is Ellen Page's performance. She plays Hayley in a way that the young girl is confident but still has some butterflies in her stomach. This is only natural considering her age.
Plus Sandra Oh is the neighbor. To be perfectly frank, Sandra Oh is always good.
Hard Candy is a hard film, in both complexity and imagery, and as such may not be for all audiences. Some scenes can be too graphic, and the plot is heavy. If this description makes you uneasy I wouldn't recommend this picture. Furthermore, the film is mostly talk. Hard Candy could work as a play as well as it works as a film. As with most wonderful pictures about two characters talking (see: The Big Kahuna, The 24th Day) it isn't for all audiences. If you enjoy two characters interacting as much as you enjoy car chases you have a better chance of enjoying this film.
In the end, Hard Candy works for the same reason that the trailer works. That reason can be summed up in a few words which are effective as any full review: Hard Candy is intense!
The 411: Hard Candy is a little heavy for some audiences, but perfect for anyone who wants an involved, complex, and character driven drama that doesn’t provide any easy answers.
