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Candy Review

By Tony Farinella
March 31, 2007 - 21:04

I never thought I would say this, but I think Hollywood has a new formula picture to add to its growing list of formula pictures.  That new formula picture is the "drug abuse" formula picture.  It starts off showing drugs in a glamorous and positive light.  Everybody is happy, shooting up, and living the good life.  It appears as if everything is dandy and fine.  We reach the half-way point of the film and suddenly things are not so enjoyable for the drug addicts.  The film starts to show you the serious damage that drug abuse can have on a human being.  Following this, by the end of the film everyone is either in rehab or dead.  The audience is in a state of shock after everything they have viewed on screen.  They start to clean out their closets and search for their old D.A.R.E T-Shirts.  What have we learned from all of this?  We have learned that drugs are bad. 

With that said, I don't mean to discredit the message the filmmakers are trying to get across with these films.  I admire the fact they are trying to save lives and open up some eyes.  On the same token, " Requiem for a Dream" is the epic of drug addict movies.  It's the best movie on the subject.  It said everything that needed to be said about drug abuse.  It also showed you everything in graphic and disturbing detail.  Ellen Burstyn gives one of the most heartbreaking and sad performances in movie history.  I can't watch her scenes in the movie without breaking down in tears.  It's a truly surreal performance.  I just can't see any film coming close to being on the level of " Requiem for a Dream."   Every other drug movie just seems to be second-rate compared to " Requiem for a Dream."  Nevertheless, I decided to give "Candy" the old college try.  After all, the film does feature the talented Heath Ledger.  Not to mention, we get to see the underappreciated and cute Abbie Cornish.

"Candy" decides to skip the old meet-cute and has the characters together right at the start of the film.  Since the characters are drug addicts, I was hoping they would have a meet-cute in some deranged alley.  The couple in question is Candy and Dan, who are played by Abbie Cornish and Heath Ledger.  Dan is an unemployed poet who lives a lifestyle that is far from conventional.  This attracts Candy, who is an artist from a middle-class family.  The two start a relationship that is passionate, heated, and full of love.  They end up getting married which does not sit well with Candy's family.  They are not all that enthused at the thought of their little girl being married to a man with no income whatsoever.  Nevertheless, Candy and Dan start married life despite the objections of her parents.  Due to their lack of income, Candy is forced to sell her body on the streets.  Dan also weasels money out of his friend Casper, who is played by Geoffrey Rush.  Casper is a father figure to the Dan character.  Casper supplies the couple with money and drugs.

The rest of the film pretty much unfolds in typical "drug abuse" movie fashion.

While I was watching this movie,  I was completely unaffected by everything that was happening on screen.  I was seeing acts of extreme drug use, depression, and horror.  Sadly, I was rather numb to it.  I can think of two reasons why I was numb to the drug abuse on screen.  First and foremost, the characters are rather unlikable, selfish, and under-developed.  As stated above, you instantly meet these characters without the benefit of a meet-cute.  I wanted to know a little bit more about them before they starting shooting up.  Secondly, I have seen this before.  I have seen the puking, the shaking, and the pain that drug abuse causes to the human body.  With that said, I give credit to Heath Ledger for giving a brave and vulnerable performance.  I liked his performance, but not the character.  The character is rather lazy and unmotivated.  I would have liked him more if he was charming and charismatic.  I have no idea why Candy fell for him in the first place.  She doesn't need him in any capacity in her life.  She doesn't need him financially, emotionally, or in any shape or form.  Why is she wasting her time with this loser?  He's only holding her back from finally doing something with her life.

DVD Special Features:

Candy: The Path to Wild Abandon:  This feature runs at nine-minutes and features the entire cast.  Everyone discusses what attracted them to the project.

Writing on the Wall: Candy's Poem in Motion:  This runs at two minutes and shows Candy's poem moving around on the screen.  I think drug addicts might find it interesting.

Audio Commentary with Director Neil Armfield and Writer Luke Davies

Trailer

Final Thoughts: Ledger and Cornish give it their all, but don't have an original screenplay to properly show off their acting chops.  The film is a little too meandering and slow to fully engage you for almost two hours.  Honestly, drug abuse is not the most exciting topic to watch on screen.  Most of the actors have to act stoned or passed out for a good portion of the film.  It's not fun for the actors or for us to watch them.

Grade: C

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51