Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish play Dan and Candy, two young bohemians who fall madly in love while shooting heroin together. In the beginning, the couple's days are occupied with making love, shoplifting, and having a strung-out wedding day that ends with a lot of giggling over a couple of Big Macs. Despite Candy's disapproving parents, they cling to each other with a fierceness that shuts out any and all outside criticism. When funds or drugs are low they pop by the house of a pharmacology professor named Casper (Geoffrey Rush), who uses his professional expertise to supply them with pharmaceutical-grade heroin. As the reality of their addiction creeps to the forefront, they must turn to desperate measures to get their fix...
Candy is one of the most beautiful and poignant films I have seen lately. It's extremely rare for me to feel the need to re-watch a film immediately after the first viewing but that's exactly what happened with Candy. I didn't, of course. I rather let the film sink in and then watch it again after a couple of weeks or months but it goes to show you how much I enjoyed the film. Candy starts with the two main characters entering some sort of rotating device ( a futuristic carousel if you will) along with a bunch of kids while the famous "Song to the Siren" plays on the background. From that moment I knew I was watching something special and I also knew that Candy, just like the rotating device, would be a hell of a ride. And I was right. The film is a realistic portrayal of what addiction does to people and shows the several stages of Dan and Candy's relationship. Because of its realism, the film can be hard to watch at times but I think every single scene in the film is absolutely necessary to tell the story effectively.
Candy was beautifully shot and the soundtrack is mesmerizing. There's a lot of conceptual scenes that add to the depth and poignancy of the film and that show the director's unique vision. Yes, heroin abuse has been documented in many films but there's something very special and beautiful about Candy. Both Ledger and Cornish deliver terrific performances. They displayed a huge amount of talent and it was some of the finest acting I have ever seen. I think it's absurd how Heath won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight (which I thought was completely average) and yet, his brilliant work in Candy was completely over-looked. Overall, a touching, entertaining and absolutely beautiful film that I strongly recommend.
9.5/10
Candy is one of the most beautiful and poignant films I have seen lately. It's extremely rare for me to feel the need to re-watch a film immediately after the first viewing but that's exactly what happened with Candy. I didn't, of course. I rather let the film sink in and then watch it again after a couple of weeks or months but it goes to show you how much I enjoyed the film. Candy starts with the two main characters entering some sort of rotating device ( a futuristic carousel if you will) along with a bunch of kids while the famous "Song to the Siren" plays on the background. From that moment I knew I was watching something special and I also knew that Candy, just like the rotating device, would be a hell of a ride. And I was right. The film is a realistic portrayal of what addiction does to people and shows the several stages of Dan and Candy's relationship. Because of its realism, the film can be hard to watch at times but I think every single scene in the film is absolutely necessary to tell the story effectively.
Candy was beautifully shot and the soundtrack is mesmerizing. There's a lot of conceptual scenes that add to the depth and poignancy of the film and that show the director's unique vision. Yes, heroin abuse has been documented in many films but there's something very special and beautiful about Candy. Both Ledger and Cornish deliver terrific performances. They displayed a huge amount of talent and it was some of the finest acting I have ever seen. I think it's absurd how Heath won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight (which I thought was completely average) and yet, his brilliant work in Candy was completely over-looked. Overall, a touching, entertaining and absolutely beautiful film that I strongly recommend.
9.5/10