A poet Dan (Heath Ledger) falls in love with an art student Candy (Abbie Cornish) who gravitates to his bohemian lifestyle - and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug their relationship alternates between states of oblivion self-destruction and despair.
All i have to say is perfect.
One of the most inspirational and thought prevoking films ive ever seen.
I could go on and write pages and pages more but i feel i dont need to, the film truly speaks for itself.
Rubbish title, rubbish poster, great film. 'Candy' is an erratic yet achingly cool adaptation of Luke Davis's semi-autobiographical novel about a young Bohemian couple in love (fine performances from Abbie Cornish and the late Heath Ledger) whose lives are destroyed by Heroin in three easy steps (considerately subtitled 'Heaven', 'Earth' & 'Hell'). Theological allusions aside, though it's obvious our protagonists are a latter-day Adam & Eve with Geoffrey Rush's smack head chemistry professor as a not-so-bad Satan, Poet Dan (Ledger) and artist Candy (Cornish) seem to be having lots of fun in the Aussie sun, but as anyone who's ever seen a drugs picture in their life will know; it's only a matter of time before it all goes balls up. 'Heaven' is a strong opener as we build an immediate connection with Dan & Candy, though the somewhat excessive nudity reminds you of how a film like 'Down In The Valley' (2005) conveyed the same emotional impact in a more restrained and artistic manner. For love scenes, in both literature & film, are always awkward and rarely work as well as the creators had hoped, especially in the modern era where we've seen it all before. Directed by Sydney theatre's Neil Armfield, the film has an arresting visual quality that brings out the best of Australia: from Sydney to Melbourne, cinematographer Gary Phillips ('Catch A Fire', 'The Monkey's Mask') uses natural light and scenic locations to give 'Candy' a look that many films (including, bizarrely, Judd Apatow's 'Superbad' and 'Knocked Up') try to achieve through the noticeable use of filters. It was a great idea to have this film mark the Ledger / Rush reunion (they first worked together in Gregor Jordan's underrated 'Ned Kelly') for just a Penelope Cruz acts better in Spanish, so too was Heath Ledger visibly at ease in his own accent & dialect, in fact, Dan is the most instantaneously believable character Heath played since an early role as hapless robber Jimmy in 'Two Hands' (1999). Surprisingly, and though I doubt it was intentional, there's a great line where Ledger contemplates becoming a rent boy, but ultimately decides that he'd "...be hopeless with the gay stuff". Abbie Cornish also gives a fearless and affecting performance as the titular Candy, though her descent into the 'Hell' of prostitution seems more like a minor inconvenience than the sickening physical & spiritual nadir we hit with Jennifer Connelly in 'Requiem For A Dream'. A little 'Leaving Las Vegas', a dash of 'Drugstore Cowboy' / 'Blow' and a lot of 'Requiem For A Dream', 'Candy' just about manages to squeeze itself into an overcrowded genre and features one genuinely horrific scene that almost rivals 'Trainspotting' in its unflinching depiction of meconophagist despair. Not as flippant as 'Spun' or 'The Doors', 'Candy' is, as James Joyce might've put it: a jocoserious treatise on the corrosive nature of dependence. And yet one can't help but think it would've been better suited to emulate its closest thematic cousin; the excellent 'Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas'. In which substance abuse of bad gear was a narrative metaphor for the decline of society through government misrule, and addicts were intellectual, post-Beatnik heroes; using as a means to escape societal ignorance, a self inflicted wound to protest the weakness and selfish ineptitude of the masses. The moral of this story, in case you hadn't guessed, is simple and simply stated by Geoffrey Rush's character: "When you can quit, you don't want to", he rasps, "...and when you want to quit, you can't". Sound advice in anyone's book. 'Candy' is an intriguing, little seen, competently made, well acted picture, and whilst it may not be the best film about the subject ever made, it's still an undiscovered gem that's defintely worth a look. Sweet.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play Gritty Australian drama starring Heath Ledger Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush A poet Dan (Ledger) falls in love with art student Candy (Cornish) who gravitates towards his bohemian lifestyle - and his love of heroin Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug their relationship alternates between states of oblivion self-destruction and despair
Gritty Australian drama starring Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush. A poet, Dan (Ledger), falls in love with art student Candy (Cornish), who gravitates towards his bohemian lifestyle - and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug, their relationship alternates between states of oblivion, self-destruction, and despair.
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