4 of 12

Write now Article Tools

Hard Candy is hard work-as simple as. The plot-line of a 13 year old girl physically and mentally overpowering a healthy and sophisticated 32 year old male pedophile in his own home is preposterous, but the films message compelling to counter that provocative fast ball. Like director David Slade puts it in the films extras: 'you don't get noticed in serious independent film unless you're controversial'. Hard Candy is certainly that.

The film plays out like a two actor stage play with a simple message: all men are potential pedophiles and adults can only take advantage of children, not the other way around, but by reversing those power roles in the narrative you can press home that point through sharp writing and the final threatened castration metaphor, physically and mentally to devastating and squeamish effect here. All the guys will look away and all the feminists will cheer. The fact that the brilliant young actress who plays the reengineered predator has a real boyish look about her may suggest another anti-male layer to this extremely pungent but 'rubber-necking' movie. It certainly had me hopping around in frustration.

-The plot-

Blue-eyed 32 year old photographer Jeff Kohlver (Michael Bolton look alike in Patrick Wilson) uses tried and tested methods and his glamorous job to snare unsuspecting young girls through internet chat-rooms, soon meeting up innocently in public places to express his sincerity, his lens and obvious sophistication the tool to get them alone at his house where his studio is in the hills of a non-descript L.A superb. But today he isn't going to get lucky, far from it, about to meet his match in the precocious and determined 14-year-old Hayley Stark (Joan of Arc look-alike Ellen Page), determined to shut down his operation and teach him a lesson. She thinks he is responsible for the disappearance of her best friend and out for a confession, let alone revenge for all those she thinks he has molested.

After hooking up with Jeff through the internet, fully aware of his tactics and lifestyle through her missing friend, and so the upper hand and advantage of surprise, she lets him lure her to his pad, accepting his alcohol and skilled patter, before drugging him, Jeff waking up and securely tied to a chair. How a frail 13-year-old got a 170lb guy in the office chair (with wheels) is not explained.

Her plan is to brutally humiliate him and teach him a lesson, Jeff quickly aware she's deadly serious by her detailed planning, Hayley preparing

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Movie reviews: Hard Candy?
We want to hear your view. Write now!