Hard Candy
Vigilante dramas have long been a staple of the cinema experience, with the underlying factor to all of them being that you sided with the protagonist as they carried out their acts of vengeance. This film, however, is the exception to that rule: Our âheroineâ is a 14-year old girl named Hayley who takes her wrath out on a pedophile rapist and possible murderer in the most intricate and depraved display of psychological terror perhaps ever. In the lead role, Ellen Page shows us why her Oscar win is imminent, as she managed to actually frighten the hell out of me at the thought that girls who think like her may possibly exist in our world. It is certainly a bravado turn, and she is nearly matched step for step by Patrick Wilson as Jeff, her intended target. In the early scenes of the film, we find it easy to despise Jeff, with his charming shit-eating grin and disarming manner, as this 30-something photographer subtly picks up this teenager and brings her back to his place for a âmodeling shootâ, but as the film turns and we discover her true nature and intent, Wilson manages to somehow make us sympathize with the despicable character as he goes thru the agony of what she unleashes. The point is driven home by Brian Nelsonâs excellent script, developing the two leads brilliantly and continuously using compelling dialogue to show us both their twisted natures, particularly Hayleyâs running commentary during an especially painful scene to watch (for men). The film is nearly undone at times though, by director David Slade, a former helmer of music videos, using a flashy style at times to the point of distraction. We tire of the constant closeups during the early scenes, the inappropriate shoehorning of extreme wide shots during key moments, as well as the tendency to use slo-mo or speeded up footage to give that hip music video style to the proceedings, when truly a no-frills approach would have worked best for the material. I also didnât need Sandra Ohâs extraneous cameo as a nosy neighbor: the movie is designed to be a tense two-character piece, and her role just seems like a lame attempt to work another ânameâ performer into the mix. In the end though, this is all about Ellen Page, giving the best teenage performance since Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, and proving that her future potential is unlimitedâŚ
8/10