Candy; a film not for your sweet tooth (Candy (DVD))

Member Name: lisaa_p

Product:	Candy (DVD)
Date:	11/08/08 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: amazing acting, great story

Disadvantages: graphic images that may cause offense

Candy (Armfield, 2006)

Cast listing:
Candy - Abbie Cornish
Dan - Heath Ledger
Casper - Geoffery Rush
Schuuman - Tom Budge
Jim Wyatt - Tony Martin
Elaine Wyatt - Noni Hazlehurt

Quick plot summary:
Dan and Candy are a young couple, deeply in love and, due to Dans influence, deeply hooked on heroin. The couple struggle with funding their addiction and use various stageries to scheme money, all of which are heartbreakingly desperate. Abbie, who came from a good backround, also struggles constantly to keep the respect of her parents who aren't convinced by the couples attitudes and desperate lies.

The Review:

Candy is a modern day love story. I don't mean when we all fall in love we become heavily addicted to heroin and begin to hate one another but the screenplay allows for a more realistic insight to a modern day love affair, one that doesn't consist of Clark Gable sweeping you off your feet with a charming smile and living happily every after. Instead Heath Ledger injects you with heroin and watches the mayhem unfurl.

Neil Armfield, a less than critically acclaimed director managed to capture the stupefying disallusionment of love through the euphemism of heroin. I enjoy this films take on realism and the sad portrayal of people who get stuck in a downward spiral. The film not only portrays an infactuation with needles and passion but also educates the viewer into the horrifying world of a drug addict.

As an audience member I personally felt involved in the film, which is an exceedingly large compliment to the actors and the director of this film, because I came to feel a strong sense of dislike towards Ledgers character, Dan, the poet. Futhermore, I was constantly urging Candy to shed the lifestyle like a pheonix and rise from the flames.

Abbie Cornish I felt delivered an award worthy performance of a young girl trapped between a rock and hard place and who rapdily finds herself collapsing into a breakdown. Some incredible moving scenes towards the end of the film (which I won't reveal, don't worry, no spoilers) really made me emotional, yet this was succeeded in a completely non sappy way. Which leads me to my next point that this is a film designed to be appreciated by both males and females alike as the most soppy, romantic scene see's Dan holding Candy in his arms whilst recieting E.E.Cummings 'I carry your heart' yet due to the nature of Armfield, he has managed to eradicate any chance of pidgeon-holing the film, or even that scene alone, in to the genre of girly rom-com films.

Ledgers performance was fantastic, which of course goes without saying. Having seen him in previous films which were perhaps more prominent in his career, such as the award-winning Brokeback Mountain, I was definitely intrigued to see the contribution he would make in this feature. I was certainly not disappointed, I must say this film certainly convinced me that Ledger is an actor worthy of Ledgendary status and for followers of his career this is an unmissable performance.

The DVD cover itself boats of happiness and love and the title Candy and use of this name depicts a pre-lapsarian state, where innocence has not been corrupted. I think this a great irony put in place by the director and is reminiscent of the way in which A Clockwork Orange (the book) is often printed with a glass of milk on the cover - a symbol of childhood innocence.

The film is actually based on a book by Luke Davies, Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction. I'm yet to read this but I have ordered my copy in the post and am more than excited to devour the written version.

Unfortunately, because the film deals very graphically with tough issues and drug abuse it seems to have repelled a large proportion of society who are afraid to take offense, yet because of Armfields handling of these topics the film avoids any glorification of drug abuse and deminishes any desire to become a part of this world. I strongly believe you shouldn't allow the topic to divert you from the great direction and brilliant narrative of a film that should have been more widely acclaimed.

Summary: a drug-fuelled love story, gripping to watch