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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Candy Stars: Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush, Tony Martin, and Noni Hazelhurst Director: Neil Armfield Scriptwriters: Neil Armfield and Luke Davies Music: Paul Charlier Paradigm Hyde Films Running Time: 109 minutes No Rating (but could be R) Screened at Filmfest 2006 Kansas City The title of this film, Candy refers to Abbie Cornish's character and also to the various drugs that Candy and her husband, Dan (Heath Ledger from "Brokeback Mountain") take. The movie is based on co-writer Luke Davies' novel of a young, married couple who get caught up in excessive drug use. It is not a pretty picture and once again, shows that Heath Ledger can act and that a new talent, Cornish, is also in the running. The film was made in Australia. Dan and Candy meet and it is love at first sight. They are riding on a children's carousel and the circling lights make the audience dizzy, as it does them with euphoria. Soon, the bright lights turn into mental fog as the couple experiments with various drugs and drug equipment. They are aided by a friend, Geoffrey Rush, who plays an aging chemist and can whip up a batch of just about anything in a hurry. Actually, not a nice friend to have. Candy's parents, Tony Martin and Noni Hazelhurst are beside themselves with Candy's choice in men, but have little to do but accept Dan into the family. Dan keeps promising to keep Candy "safe," but this has no meaning when there are drugs around. Soon, the couple runs out of money and resorts to prostitution (she) and theft (he) to finance their drug habit. The beginning of the end is when Candy becomes pregnant as neither one can cope with being a parent. They are still like children playing house. The script does a good job in showing the difference in character between Dan and Candy. One example in the area of he-is-no-good-for-her, is when Candy becomes a prostitute and suggests that Dan could do the same. "No," he replies, "that's just for you." You begin to wonder whether anyone so immersed in drugs can come clean, but they try, and try several times. These are harrowing scenes, and just when they reach a point of overcoming the habit, something emotional happens that they can't cope with (the rent is due) and they go backward. Tony Martin and Noni Hazelhurst are the harried parents of Candy. She is their daughter, but keeps making miserable choices about her life. The unresolved issues between mother and daughter come to a head at a luncheon at which the meal is obviously not going to be served. Years of stress on both sides come out. Geoffrey Rush's character starts out being a friend to "the young ones" whom he treats something like little pets that come by for a feeding. We see, though, that Rush (and his male friends) are caught up in drugs, too. Why do people turn to drugs? The film says it is being emotionally unstable with no outside help. Dan and Candy aren't good for each other, but who can stop them? The drug scenes may remind you a bit of Trainspotting. The phrase "dirt poor" has new meaning when you see the places they live. All in all, Candy paints a graphic picture of drug use and its consequences. The audience watches what happens and is helpless to come to their aid. Copyright 2006 Marie Asner
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