| Overall Grade: |
C |
|
| Story: |
C |
|
|
| Acting: |
C+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
C- |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B- |
|
|
Candy is full of Snickers
by Renato (movies profile)
Mar 29, 2007
16
of
18 people found this review helpful
...from the audience.
Disappointing comes to mind when thinking of this film, having gone to an advanced screening recently.
Here comes Heath Ledger, fresh from his burr-covered glory in Brokeback Mountain -- a film which transformed him from genial, towheaded Aussie leading actor, to a cowpoke of such leathery depths of feeling, that it was a joy to watch him even in the toughest scenes.
Candy was his chance to further his career with even more acting pyrotechnics (Casanova being best left unmentioned...), and he ups and chooses this role -- one that has been done, re-done, and done once more for the road, a hundred times.
Unlike Ryan Gosling's compelling performance in Half-Nelson (which I only just mentioned in another review today), Heath Ledger's character Dan offers no new insight into druglandia, and in fact, is incredibly predictable.
At no point, is there a thoughtful twist, even in the scenes when Abby Cornish is around (being marginally better than Ledger as the junkie-hooker bound to him by love and loyalty).
(SPOILERS)
You know how they'll get their ill-gotten money to buy drugs, how they'll try to clean up, or what will happen when she becomes pregnant.
They're all unremarkable, except for being so awfully telegraphed and pat.
And for once, Geoffrey Rush disappoints in his fey cameos at ill-judged times.
Apart from the already mentioned Half-Nelson, a film along these lines which blew this out of this park this year, is undoubtedly "L'Enfant".
The Dardenne brothers know all about the gritty mundane, and they have a lot more to say about this, than Candy will ever cough up. |
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