Candy (2006)

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.

Director:

Neil Armfield

Writers:

Luke Davies (novel), Neil Armfield (screenplay)

Stars:

Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush

6 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abbie Cornish	...	Candy
Heath Ledger	...	Dan
Geoffrey Rush	...	Casper
Tom Budge	...	Schumann
Roberto Meza Mont	...	Jorge
Tony Martin	...	Mr. Wyatt
Noni Hazlehurst	...	Mrs. Wyatt
Holly Austin	...	Sunglasses Shop Assistant
Craig Moraghan	...	Washing Machine Dealer
John Lee	...	Hock Shop Man
Noel Herriman	...	Celebrant
Tim McKenzie	...	Uncle Rod
Tara Morice	...	Aunt Katherine
Maddi Newling	...	Janey
Patricia Lemon	...	Wedding Guest

Storyline

This story is a narration from an Australian man who falls in love with two kinds of Candy: a woman of the same name and heroin. The narrator changes from a smart-aleck to someone trying to find a vein to inject, while Candy changes from an actress, call girl, streetwalker, and then a madwoman. Starting in Sydney, the two eventually end up in Melbourne to go clean, but they fail. This leads them to turn to finding money and heroin, while other posessions and attachments become unimportant.

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Plot Keywords:

sex in a bathroom | prostitute | miniskirt | sex in a car | sex in the backseat of a car | 

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Taglines:

Candy Is Dandy But Sex Won't Rot Your Teeth.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive depiction of drug addiction, disturbing images, language, sexual content and nudity

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 2006 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Candy - Reise der Engel

Filming Locations:

Hillsdale, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$202,744 (Australia), 26 May 2006, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,646, 19 November 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$44,720, 4 February 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Finance, Paradigm Hyde Films, Renaissance Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Heath Ledger was the director's only choice for the role of Dan.

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Goofs

When Dan calls Roger to try to get his pin number for his bank account, he asks him his date of birth. Roger says it is 3rd May 1977, but when we later see what Dan has written down it reads 3rd May 1973.

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Quotes

Dan: Oh right, like I held a gun to your head, did I? Held you down and hit you up did I?
Candy: Fuck you
Dan: Fuck you too Candy.
Candy: Fuck you ten times.

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Connections

Featured in A Current Affair: Heath Ledger Special (2008)

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Soundtracks

Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten
Performed by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta
Directed by Richard Studt
Courtesy of EMI Music Australia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, British Musicians Union & Universal Edition AG, Vienna
Composed by Arvo Pärt

User Reviews

Harsh but great.

Amazing but harsh Candy is 'Trainspotting' meets 'Romeo and Juliet'. Opening with a haunting melody and the two lovers on a fairground ride it feels very picturesque and idealistic, but that doesn't last very long I'm afraid. Mixing poetic voice-overs and montages of the pair involved in each other as the world orbits around them they are so in love and oblivious and addicted. Told in a triptych the first third of the film is called 'heaven' and deals with the honeymoon period of the relationship, the second third is called 'earth' and deals with the start of the end and it doesn't take a genius to work out that the third is called 'hell' and is just that. Candy and Dan are addicted to each other and addicted to heroin. They steal, lie, cheat and wheel and deal, whatever it takes to get the cash they need for the next fix, but when the fixes are few and far between there becomes no limit to how far they will go. Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are brilliant as the arm spiked lovers who both brood with an intensity that shines out when they are acting being on drugs or the brutal scenes when they are trying to come off them. They are mesmerising to watch and at all times you either hate them for how much they are destroying each other or empathise with them for what they are going through. You can't help but go through the experience with them because it is so graphic and not unlike the needles gets right under your skin. Geoffrey Rush who plays a strange semi-gay drugged up Uncle Monty type character, who not only supplies but manufactures some of the drugs for the pair and even shoots up with them, is very unnerving as the father figure Dan always wanted but never had. Even the later part of the last third, despite its nature, still holds elements of beauty and I would be surprised if there was a dry eye in the house as the film reaches its climax. If you ever wanted a way to show children the evils of drugs then show them this film, it never glorifies the use of substances and if anything it is garishly honest all the way through, although not an easy watch it is an amazing portrayal of the power that addictions, good or bad, can hold and just how far humans are capable of going for love. This really is a journey into the heart of darkness.