Hard Candy (www.the-usher.com)

"You think I'm mature?"

After chatting for three weeks on the Internet, Hayley (Page) and Jeff (Wilson) finally decide to meet. He is a thirty-two year-old photographer and she is a fourteen year-old honour student. However mature she may act, they both know it is wrong but as they return to Jeff's home to look at his portfolio, Hayley starts to change from the provocative and inquisitive young girl into one that suspects he is a paedophile and Hayley is going to expose him.

With a plotline that is bound to cause controversy, 'Hard Candy' is a difficult film to watch but an impossible one to ignore.

Music video director David Slade makes his big screen debut with a movie that will set the standard for psychotic thrillers for many years to come. He and writer Brian Nelson use the Internet slang term for young girls as the title for a movie that exposes the darkest sides of sexual predators and a victim's revenge.

The film drags you down one path and then slams you into another. At first we see a deviant at work, drawing an innocent young girl into his grasp and manipulating her into starting a relationship. This is very difficult to watch but is needed to set the base of the story and take us into a whole different direction. The plot changes dramatically when Hayley quickly takes control and this sweet and naive fourteen year-old girl turns into an instrument of revenge and justice against one of the most sickening of crimes. This puts the audience in a very awkward position, as you do not know who to feel for, paedophile's victim or the victim of revenge.

The two lead player's play out this character driven piece for ninety-nine percent of running time and because of this we need two actors that can captivate you throughout. Patrick Wilson has made a few waves in Hollywood with his performances in films like 'The Alamo', 'The Phantom of the Opera' and the TV mini-series 'Angels in America' but this is the movie that will put him on every casting directors list. His transformation from predator to victim is pivotal to the plot of the film because if he doesn't get it right you won't be able to have any kind of sympathy for his character as what he is doing is so morally despicable.

It is Ellen Page that steals the film however with a performance that is quite simply stunning. She also goes through a transformation but hers is even more dramatic than Jeff's. Hayley has to be a fourteen year-old girl who is about to be trapped and then dramatically transform into a revenge driven, loose cannon who is just as dangerous Jeff ever could be. Her performance is totally astonishing and one that will live with you for a very long time.

'Hard Candy' is as disturbing as it is captivating. This is a film that will repulse you and even make you laugh, in the darkest of ways but most importantly it is a movie that you will not easily forget.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good, highlighting the visual style of the movie.

BONUS FEATURES

Audio Commentary with director David Slade and writer Brian Nelson
The director and writer provide a chatty and insightful look into independent film. The pair talks about the development of the idea, casting and the look of the film. They also reveal the limitations of working with such a small budget and trying to create a style and look that made it more expensive than it actually is. This is an informative commentary from two talented filmmakers.

Audio Commentary with actors Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson
The two stars of the movie talk about how they approached such a controversial subject matter. They both talk about the restrictions of the budget and the professionalism of the crew and director making the movie look far more expensive than it was. The pair also talks about creating their characters and how they struggled to get inside the minds of such different roles than they are used to playing. This is another good commentary from two extremely talented performers.

Creating Hard Candy: Making of� Documentary (51.48 mins)
Director David Slade, producer David W. Higgins, writer/co-producer Brian Nelson and stars Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson talk about creating the independent movie. The documentary covers casting, the director, the visual style, production, postproduction, marketing and release, as the group take you through the process of making a low budget movie. This is an informative and insightful documentary

Controversial Confection Featurette (9.21 mins)
Director David Slade, producer David W. Higgins, writer/co-producer Brian Nelson and stars Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson talk about the story and the reaction to the provocative subject matter of the movie. The difference between and the motivations of the characters are also discusses as the filmmakers and the cast reveal how they approached the roles and the story.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (10.54 mins)
Entitled 'First e-mail', 'Hayley reads Janelle's letter', 'Jeff tied to the table', 'Haley questions him about Donna Mauer', 'Numb nuts' and 'Shaving', these deleted or extended scenes suffer from the lack of a commentary track or introduction to reveal with they were edited.

Script and Director's Note Book: DVD ROM
Place the DVD in your PC and you will be able to read the Script and the notebooks made the director. Trailer Watch a preview of 'A Cock and Bull Story'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Hard Candy' is extremely good, especially were you bear in mind the size of the budget on the movie. The documentary offers an insight into the production of a low budget movie and how the filmmakers and the actors felt about the movie. Fans of the film should be very pleased with this DVD release.

DVD

American Beauty

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2006