7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
A smart, charming teenage girl, Hayley probably shouldn't be going to a local coffee shop to meet Jeff, a 30- something fashion photographer she met on the Internet. But Hayley's ready to have fun, and soon she's mixing screwdrivers at Jeff's place and stripping for an impromptu photo shoot. It's Jeff's lucky night--until his vision blurs and he passes out. Turns out Hayley isn't as innocent as she looks.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Elliot Page, Sandra Oh, Odessa Rae, G.J. EchternkampPsychological thriller | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In an age where taboos are smashed seemingly daily with little or no fanfare, it’s perhaps comforting to realize, at least relatively speaking, that there are still a few forbidden behaviors that will raise the ire of most “normal” people. Certainly pedophilia is in the Top 5 of these. There’s a certain dichotomy, as has been long noted, in how people view older men dating or even marrying much younger women than vice versa (though that’s recently obtained some gender equality with the advent of “cougarism”), but when the “much younger” gets into minor territory, all bets are off and the standard response is a much deserved gasp of horror. For that reason alone, it would probably be more astute of me not to state how much I love Ellen Page, albeit in a completely professional, platonic capacity. It’s probably more requisite than ever of me to qualify my admiration for this amazing young woman given that in 2005, when Hard Candy was released, she was a mere sprite of 18 or so, while I was. . .considerably older than that. Page is the heart and soul of Hard Candy, a disturbing little independent film that plays out largely as a two character cat and mouse game, where the audience is initially misled about who exactly is the prey and who the predator. While Page’s costar in this psychological thriller, Patrick Wilson (Angels in America, Watchmen), also does fine, if less nuanced, work, Hard Candy is a showcase for Page, who in this film gives the sort of viciously inflected performance that should have garnered her an Oscar nomination two years before her acclaimed (and nominated) turn in Juno.
Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson star in 'Hard Candy'.
The bulk of Hard Candy plays out in Jeff's hilltop home, a Los Angeles ranch style domain filled with that lustrous bleached yellow light so redolent of southern California. The film's AVC encoded 1080p image (in 2.35:1) can therefore seemed blanched with low contrast at times, but a closer look reveals a wealth of detail and excellent sharpness. Slade post processes some shots, typically segues or other transitions, with an at times grainy ambience and desaturated color. However the bulk of the film, while tilted toward the yellow end of the spectrum, offers a pleasing image that reveals everything from individual sweat droplets on Jeff's tortured visage to the clinging red gelatin on Hayley's scalpel (don't ask). Flesh tones are accurate (if, again, on the yellow-pink side of things), and detail in Jeff's lair is well defined.
What do you look (or listen) for when approaching an audio mix, lossless or otherwise? Do you insist on knock your socks off sonic effects, or are you content to let the film's aims chart their own course. If you're of the former persuasion, chances are you'll be underwhelmed by Hard Candy's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. If, on the other hand, you let yourself relax (if that's possible, given this film's ethos) into the very subtle soundscape provided on this Blu-ray, you're apt to come away quite pleased with the results. There are a bevy of really excellent effects on this track, from panicked heavy breathing which surrounds the listener, to some nice panning effects, as when Jeff, trapped in an office chair, attempts to maneuver his escape. Actual ambient effects are few and far between, but the film's dialogue is handled cleanly and crisply, albeit mostly front and center, with some great attention paid to sonic differences in close-ups and midrange shots. Ostensibly "little" effects, as when Hayley sorts through a rock garden to discover a hidden safe, play out extremely well here, albeit very subtly. This is certainly not "summer blockbuster" sonic material, but it's incredibly effective on its own terms.
Lionsgate has done a good job on all of its new budget priced Blu-rays in terms of supplements. Here we're provided with:
If you can get past some gaping holes of logic, you're in for one hell of a roller coaster ride with Page's commanding performance. Hard Candy may not be especially easy to watch, but it certainly heralds the arrival of a major young actress. Recommended.
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