Hard Candy (2005)

Director: David Slade
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, commentary, deleted scenes, DVD-ROM, featurettes
Starring: Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson, Sandra Oh
Trailer

My father recently asked me how I choose the movies I get in the mail. "Usually," I told him, "I look for recommendations based on the movies I’ve already rented." Sometimes, too, I will see a movie trailer that grabs my attention and I’ll put that movie on my list. In the case of Hard Candy, I happened to be walking past the television while my dad was watching Ebert and Whatshisname. They gave Hard Candy a great review. It wasn’t really the opinion of another movie critic that made my decision – I’ve said that I don’t read movie reviews much – but it was the subject matter of the movie and how they described it that peaked my interest. And to be honest, their review was a little misleading. But, I didn’t know that before my weakness for Indie films drew me in.

Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) is a 14 year old girl and she’s been chatting for several weeks with 32 year old photographer Jeff (Patrick Wilson) online. After several flirtatious advances, the two of them deicide to meet at a local café. Hayley is clearly very bright for a girl of her age and Jeff is more attractive than she expected. Despite her honor roll integrity, she’s still a bit shy and naïve. After a bit of conversation, Jeff convinces her to come back to his house to listen to some music. When they arrive, Hayley browses the photographer’s portfolio pictures displayed on the walls. She notices that they’re all photos of underage girls in provocative positions. Jeff offers her a glass of water and she responds by saying that she was taught not to drink anything she hasn’t mixed herself. She finds some vodka in his freezer and mixes them both screwdrivers.

Briefly afterwards, Jeff wakes up to find that he’s been tied to a chair. Both he and the audience begin to realize that Hayley is not the innocent child she pretended to be. It seems that she’s been planning their rendezvous for a while now, right down to the activities of his neighbors. While he watches helplessly, Hayley tears his house apart, looking for evidence of pedophilia. After an exhaustive search, she locates a hidden safe and figures out the combination. It seems that what she discovers inside confirms her suspicions and affirms her course of action. Jeff blacks out again and this time, when he comes to, he’s been tied down to a steel operating table, his pants removed and a bag of ice resting on his crotch. And now, Hayley tells him, she’s going to castrate him as punishment for his misdeeds.

The most astonishing part of Hard Candy, however, is not the castration scene. It’s Ellen Page’s phenomenal performance. However young the actress might be, she plays the role of Hayley to absolute perfection. She has command of even the most subtle facial expressions and nuance of character. I was completely amazed by this young actress and I hope to see her in many films to come. Patrick Wilson does a stand-up job as Jeff. For the majority of the movie, it’s really hard to tell if he’s actually guilty of pedophilia or innocently mistaken. It’s difficult not to feel sorry for the guy as he’s strapped down, begging for his manhood. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy will recognize Sandra Oh in her brief appearance as Jeff’s neighbor.

On the one hand, it’s great to see Hayley as an avenging angel for all of the molested children out there. On the other, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if she’s just plain psycho or not. On the one hand, if Jeff really is a sick child molesting bastard, he is well deserving of what he gets. On the other, is this poor guy just taking the rap for a crime in Hayley’s past? Hard Candy is beautifully filmed, superbly acted, and entertaining through every moment. I think it’s one of the best movies that I’ve seen all year.

Overall Rating: 5
Hottie Rating: 1/2 (situational)

Alternate Viewing: Kids
Official Site
IMDB Site
Roger Ebert review *spoilers*

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