Tuesday 22 September 2015

I've Just Seen: Candy (2006)

Candy (2006)

http://i.imgur.com/HriBYRw.jpg


Director: Neil Armfield

One could make comparisons between Candy and Lost in Translation. In both films we follow two people who feel like they are detached from the rest of the world, finding in each other a bond that sustains them. In Candy the two characters, Candy and Dan, are bound through their use of heroin as well as their love for each other; in fact their love and drug-taking seems to be inextricably linked.

The film is structured in sections called 'Heaven,' 'Earth' and 'Hell.' We see their descent from the heights of joy in each other and their highs, to the rather painful realities of life as addicts, to the disintegration of their love. Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are very good as Candy and Dan, though occasionally they appeared to look rather well for malnourished heroin users. Some critics disliked the film, saying that Candy and Dan were too self-absorbed to be sympathetic. This seems a strange criticism; they are drug addicts, surely it is no surprise that they focus purely on each other and their situation.

This is a very good Australian film with two strong lead performances. I would always encourage people to watch Australian films (unless they are terrible), and this is one that I would certainly recommend.

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