Hard Candy...who else feels manipulated?

I recently saw Hard Candy and I just have to get some other thoughts on this film. I thought it was absolutely amazing and that Ellen Page is well on her way to having a very successful career, and I also felt like my head was played with more than a Pac Man arcade machine. Who else changed their alligence in this film more than once...or am I the only one?

David Slade certainly did a masterful job manipulating what you wanted to happen, versus what was happening on screen, but I'm not sure I'd say I ever really switched my alligence, so to speak.

The...to make it as spoiler free as possible, let's call it the 'snipping scene'...was certainly an excellent turning point where you just felt horrible for Jeff, at least I did, and were really questioning the motives of Hayley. So while that was able to put a lot of empathy on Jeff, despite him being an assumed child molestor (and possible killer), there wasn't a comprable scene were you went from rooting for Hayley to hoping she would actually get harmed or killed. Though if you're a guy, the 'snipping scene' is intense enough to make you want Jeff to get loose and break her arms, just as an instincual repsonse.

I wouldn't ever say I felt manipulated though, it's just a case of fantastic character archs.

It's a damned fine piece of filmmaking.

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Defintely looking forward to it myself !

Manipulated is a very strong word, just couldn't think of quite else how to put it, but you hit the nail on the head. Both of these characters were so well developed and dynamic. It was incredible to watch the ways in which Haley's anger and obsession clashed with Jeff's agony, fear, and self realization. You're correct, a damn fine film.

Yep.

I had the day off from work, so I caught a matinee of Hard Candy, which is not about the gorgeously bohemian OD'er of the same name. Nope, it's about a 14-year-old girl who hooks up with an older man she met on the internet, and it ain't romance she has on her mind... it's revenge. The audience was made up mostly of men sitting by themselves, and although it's unfair to assume such things, I kind of wondered if they were pedophiles/ephebophiles hoping to catch a glimpse of "underage" tail. (Ellen Page, the actress, was 17 years old at the time the movie was made, but she sure as hell could pass for much younger.) Therefore, I was gratified when certain events began to transpire in the movie and I heard creaking as the male patrons uneasily shifted in their seats.

That was fun.

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letterboxd

God almighy, that movie freaked me out!
I just felt dirty watching the beginning with the 2 of them flirting together but by the time of the twist I understand why this DVD was recommended to me.

After the "snipping scene" I just wanted to switch to the X-Men 3 DVD and see her as a more friendly character skating on a pond with Iceman while I kept repeating to myself, "NoNoNoNoNo...Pleeeese tell me she isn't about to..."

Great movie though.

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Fear the Probe!

god, i thought that movie was terrible... i mean, i can respect it, in a certain sick kinda way... but it was just wierd
i dunno, just not enjoyable for me at all. maybe its cause i have testicles.

I felt extremely manipulated too but not like Jeff did in the movie lol MAN!!! Through out the whole snipet scene I was in disbelief that she was actually going to go through with it!!!!!!! It's not so much that I was on Jeff's side is more like I felt he had enough from her vigilante justice. by the way I also felt creeped out by the first 20 minutes, I didn't know anything about this movie when I rented it so I thought it was going to be a 18/19 teen not a creepy ass ACTUAL teenager lol ewwwww

Well I rented it from Netflix and their online description more or less clues you into the fact that you can't take the first few scenes at face value and that the plot will twist like a corkscrew- so I kinda knew going into it that things might not be as they seemed.

Anyway well acted, well written, great character development but, and maybe I'm alone here, by the end of it I kinda wanted to deal each of them a fatal blow to the skull with a heavy blunt object. I found myself loathing both characters pretty much equally.

I think any man watching this film will feel uncomfortable, not just for the snip scene, the subject matter certainly raises a good few questions, and whilst it was difficult to feel sorry for Jeff, it was also hard to view what was going on.
I agree with Papa Steve, by the end of the film I loathed both characters, which is a testament to the actors who were both fantastic.
Hard hitting, but thought provoking, it took me 2 attempts to finish it!

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Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

Anyone remember Ellen Page from Trailer Park Boys (the tv show), she played Lahey's daughter, Treena.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!

HOLY HANNA!!
I just bought this tonight and the funny thing is, I'm right at that scene that your talking about. I had to actually come on here and browse a bit cause I'm too freaked out to 'know' what happens.

Gulp.....Lord help me. I think I better go finish it off. I'm sooooo afraid.

Hard Candy is the best movie i saw last year by a long shot, i can't wait to see Ellen Page in 'An American Crime'.

Ok I did end up finishing it and hated the ending. No way it would have went down like that.

I was expecting this to be a good film, The press and trailers helped make it seem this way but no, What a load of *****, Over the top and in some places didn't make any sense at all, Thoroughly disappointed....Right i'm off for a pint!!!

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Yeah, it was an odd movie to say the least.

Oh we are supposed to hate the guy? Ok.

Wait, were are supposed to hate the little girl who is a superfreak now? Ok.

Wha???

I was looking for a different movie from the trailer but oh well, it was a ride at least. It just wasn't the ride I'd hoped to take.

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Bleacheddecay

I thought this movie was absolutely brilliant it worked so well and was so well made

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Ok just finished watching this and I have to say that I'm not feeling all too comfortable but at the same time it was a pretty good movie. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't cup something while watching the 'snipping' scene, scary stuff, especially for 'our' 50% of the human population to whom this is one of the primal fears.

Loved how both characters have no redeeming qualities at all. I, for one, would not side with either of them in even the least bit. Haley is void of any compassion or mercy and Jeff really has to be forced (and how!) in admitting what he did and more importantly realising the implications. And though a practising* pedophile is indeed something to be hated and feel completely disgusted by, Haley's actions are simply injustifiable. The movie creates a similar 'ambiguity' in respect to Jeff, who, even though he is an abominable person, you could feel some compassion for (I did a bit) while Haley puts him through everything she does. It's this kind of ambiguity that made the movie really interesting to me.

*I don't think that someone who has a sexual preference towards people, children, below the age of consent, is per se someone to be hated. In a way it is not different from other sexual preferences/orientations. The problem is that the object of their desire is generally not psychologically (or biologically!) ready for such experiences and can not comprehend their impact and therefore can, and most likely will, be damaged. Thus, I think, that 'only' as soon as pedophiles give in to their urges, it becomes untolerable. When they do this I think their actions may very well be compared to Haley's last actions in the movie. And such manipulation is without a doubt among the most dispicable imaginable.

ok, I'm gonna be hiding from the flak now

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It's just a ride...

No I agree completely. All my friend's are so restricted by society that they nearly stoned me for suggesting that it was actually Jeff who was a victim. At the end of the day you have no idea what Hayley see's and he had no way out, he HAD to admit. Just to keep his balls. Oh btw did she actually do that? Apparently not...I'm so confused! While Jeff is pathetic, she is so crazy that you have no idea who is the victim and she IS 18 despite telling him she wasn't, physically there is no difference between her and a 14 year old and how old is too young? She is so crazy we don't really know the truth and I think the ideas he has are so awful that we cannot comprehend him, we feel sorry for him yet do not know how we feel about him if he did actually do the things she is acusing him of. If this is the intent of the film, it was amazing, if it was a fluke and the whole film's intentions lies in the ending where she says that that was the same thing his friend said...then I would be disappointed.