DVD Review - Hard Candy (Wench Catch Up)

So anyone who has seen Juno knows what a stunning little fucking actress Ellen Page is, well it was in Hard Candy starring alongside Patrick Wilson as the groomed 14 year old torturer where she drew mainstream attention to her talent.

The film opens with paedo Patrick meeting with Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) after a rather inappropriate onlince conversation; and for the opening cafe meeting delicately tempts the viewer into believing that paedo Patrick has a connection but is fully aware of the boundary he must not cross. As the film moves on David Slade (midget director) reveals a more sinister side to paedo Patrick as he probes at 14 year old Hayley with tempting inappropriate conversations and compliments.

Hayley works her way back to his house, which doubles as his photography studio. As paedo Patrick slowly grooms her he is being manipulated by a calculated Hayley into a trap, once she coaxes him into a photoshoot and strips to her bra his vision blurs only to awake tied to a chair with an angry Hayley Stark ready for him.

Hayley is on a quest for retribution, she ransacks his house and tourtures him to confess with the films tension built on the careful balance oompa loompa director David puts on the actual guilt of our paedo. Is he a slimy paedophile or is Hayley a confused tormentor? The tension peaks early with an excruciating scene which draws memories of the hobbling in Misery but short stuff manages to keep the user gripped right through to the final act.

This is one highly recommended motherfucker of a thriller. Ellen Page delivers a mature performance as a vulnerable teenager cum confident vengeful tormentor whch is perfectly balanced with a great performance from Patrick Wilson who manages to slip between sly predator and innocent victim throughout the film.

A ball losing brilliant out of 5