Candy (2006) Movie Information:

Candy (2006) Directed by: Neil Armfield Candy (2006) Written by: Luke Davies, Neil Armfield Candy (2006) Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish

Candy (2006) U.S. Distributor: ThinkFilm Candy (2006) U.K. Distributor: ICA Films

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Candy (2006) Synopsis:

Candy (ABBIE CORNISH), gorgeous, sexy, free-spirited, meets the roguish, reckless Dan (HEATH LEDGER). The two souls fall so deeply in love that nothing can come between them. They are financially broke; yet survive on the light they see in each other. Even the heroin they so casually flirt with is no more than an extension of the intoxicating world they inhabit. Their own belief in an invincible future spurs them ever onwards and envelops them in a blissful cocoon. As their commitment to the addiction grows, they renew their bond through marriage and pregnancy. As long as they stay together, nothing can go wrong. But as they cross-uncrossable boundaries and succumb to the tyranny of what they cannot control, their paradise comes under threat. Candy's parents (GARRY MCDONALD), weary of watching their daughter slide into something they do not understand, all but give up on her. And even Casper (GEOFFREY RUSH), Dan's mentor and friend, complicit in their exploration of the habit, can not deny that their devotion to the drug that binds them all, is now inseparably intertwined with the commitment they share. Whilst the marriage inevitably deteriorates, so too, does Candy's mind. As she drifts to the edge of insanity Dan makes a last attempt to rescue their relationship but through the clarity of separation he realizes that if he truly loves her, the best thing for Candy and for both of them is for him to let her go.

Candy (2006) Movie Review:

Harrowing and strongly moving, this junkie drama beautifully explores the emotional core of its characters. It helps, of course, that the cast is this good.

Dan (Ledger) is a poet embarking on romance with Candy (Cornish), a painter. Besides their artistic sensibility, the two share an appetite for illicit substances, which soon spirals out of control. Dan's mentor (Rush) helps them find money or drugs, but pretty soon the heroin runs their life, driving them to sell almost everything they own, including their bodies. Candy's parents (Hazlehurst and Martin) reluctantly try to support them, especially since they clearly long for a more stable life. But will they survive their next fix?

The film is broken into three not-so-subtle chapters--heaven, earth, hell--as we watch this couple descend from the flush of attraction to grim realism to the horrors of addiction. Armfield and Davies (who wrote the semi-autobiographical source novel) tell the story with a bracingly honesty that refuses to wallow in misery or indulge in sentiment. It's funny and sweet, harsh and scary.

Ledger and Cornish create vivid characters we identify with. Ledger's Dan is a nice guy in the grip of two things he can't control: love for Candy and a dependence on heroin. Even though he never wastes away into a skeletal junkie, Ledger beautifully catches Dan's tender soul; we genuinely like him even as we watch him do one awful thing after another. And Cornish skilfully provides an intriguing counterpoint, a different kind of addict who just can't see beyond her next high. These are two likeable people who know they need to stop, but can't.

The supporting cast is just as authentic and layered: Rush's role is insinuating and unnerving, Hazlehurst and Martin offer a steely resolve tinged with personal pain. Meanwhile, Armfield deftly avoids cliches. His brightly sunlit cinematography captures the ecstasy induced by both love and drugs, then shines a spotlight on paranoia, disharmony and health issues. It's a gritty and truthful film that never tries to say everything about addiction, but rather focuses on the aching realities of this particular couple. Raw and powerful.

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Candy (2006) review written by: Rich Cline