Home > Drama >

Candy

Watch Now

Candy (2006)

May. 25,2006
|
7.2
|
R
| Drama Romance
Watch Now

A poet falls in love with an art student, who gravitates to his bohemian lifestyle — and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug, their relationship alternates between states of oblivion, self-destruction, and despair.

...

Watch Trailer

Cast

Similar titles

Reviews

Protraph
2006/05/25

Lack of good storyline.

More
Philippa
2006/05/26

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

More
Marva
2006/05/27

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

More
Isbel
2006/05/28

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

More
Sinclair Thomas
2006/05/29

This is my first review on a movie here, and I'll tell you why..Candy was a movie I struggled to watch at times, not because of the pacing, but because Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish brought an uncanny dimension of realism to create this story of two drug addicts that live for each other and the conflicting addiction that fuels their abusive relationship.There was a particular hospital scene that had me straining in my chair.. the performance by these two is hard to put in words. Just a truly phenomenal screen presence. Far from a light-hearted film I recommend this to anyone who wants to confront the reality of drug use and the repercussions they have on your life and those around you.Haunting and just belligerent at its core. Cinema perfected.

More
krocheav
2006/05/30

Australia seems to have plenty of money to invest in movies about drug addicted people. Over the years the FFC have poured huge funds into many (often overly artsy) drug-related projects and I would imagine the returns might be relatively small (if any). Candy is a mixed bag about Dan (Ledger) a poet (of what we never really find out) and Candy (Cornish) an art student who just about never seems to work or attend class. These two lovers are said to be deeply committed but their foul language towards each other leaves much to be desired. Character development is non-existent and it feels like the film might perhaps have been considered too long, so some intro scenes could possibly have been dropped. Both Candy and Dan squander all their finances on heroin till they end up stooping so low as to prostitute themselves or rob people to fund more poison. Yet again, it seems Mum and Dad are hinted at being the culprits who 'may' have caused some of this fall from grace but, at no time do we see any evidence for this. Dan and Candy are intelligent & young enough to lift themselves out of their difficulties - often saying they want to stop, but again, do nothing but move deeper into the abyss. Nonie Hazelhurst is very good as Candy's concerned mum but all efforts by both parents are ignored.The movie seems to be saying drugs are bad - keep well away, yet each time anyone hits up (and there are many) it's all covered by long loving close-ups of everyone being transported into ecstasy (go figure...) Sets are cheap and photography varies from good to mediocre. The only minor thing that sets this apart from any other of its type might be some haunting music tracks. The main performances are good of their type but sadly enough (for Ledger at least) this may have been too close to home realities (?) The ending tends to play out like it was an afterthought and is not very convincing - considering these two were supposed to be lovers of high degree, perhaps this might have been handled better? Extremely depressing (intended or not) and not one to be seen again, ever! Some may be emotionally moved but sadly, many will want to move as far away as possible.

More
Antonia Tejeda Barros
2006/05/31

Candy is my favorite Heath movie. A masterpiece about love and addiction. It started filming on January 27, 2005 and was released on February 15, 2006. Candy is 1.000 times better than Trainspotting (and Trainspotting was really good) and 1.000 times less known than Trainspotting. Candy is a touching and strong love story full of despair, hope, regrets, dreams & failures. The story does not try to judge, punish or teach. There are no good and bad guys. Candy is a human and honest portrayal of the hell of heroine, a story about real love and a movie that will break your heart into a million pieces. Heath describes the movie like "a film of love (…) not a story about heroine". Heath explains: "Heroine is involved but I think that the beauty of this film (is that) it's not exploding heroine or glorifying it in any way (…) It's a tragic story of love". Director Neil Armfield was a bit hesitant about using Heath as Dan, since he thought that Heath had a natural energy that was heroic, and Dan was grubby and edgy. But, again, it was Heath's performance in Monter's Ball that "got him" the role. Luke Davies (the writer of the book upon which the movie is based and screenwriter of the movie, together with director Neil Armfield) wrote a beautiful and touching article about Heath after Heath's death; he describes Heath as a talented, generous, kind and sincere human being, and says: "It was Monster's Ball that convinced Neil Armfield that Ledger was the one for Candy". What attracted Heath to the project was the novel, which he describes like a "tragic love affair with both the drug and each other", the screenplay and the fact of being allowed to use his own accent, which he didn't do since Two Hands and 10 things I hate about you: "shooting a film using my own accent was attractive … I haven't done that for 8 years. I was looking forward to feeling liberated from … having to perform with an accent … It was a sense of freedom. I was able to mumble in my own accent, to breath in my own accent, to improvise freely". Abbie Cornish gives a breathtaking performance. Heath says about Abbie: "… she's incredibly talented … She relies a lot upon … instinct and the magic of the scene, and she keeps it real and she's a very grounded human being, very talented obviously, very beautiful… I could not have asked for a better Candy". I must say that Abbie is the strongest and most brilliant female character of all of Heath's movies. I'd go further and say that two of the most beautifully portrayed love stories in cinema history are the ones of Ennis and Jack, and Candy and Dan. Candy is a real jewel. Director Armfield is awesome and the cast (Heath, Abbie and Geoffrey Rush) is superb.

More
BernardoLima
2006/06/01

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

More