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Hard Candy

She wants revenge

By TOM MEEK | April 25, 2006

2.5 Stars

Pedophilia is no laughing matter, but given David Slade’s melodrama and its contrived twists of revelation and revenge, its somber tone in the face of ridiculous plot turns, you might find it hard to repress a giggle. Patrick Wilson’s Jeff is a suave LA photog who chats up teenage girls on-line and occasionally takes them out for cake and coffee. He seems straight up and amiable even as he leads a nymphet named Hayley (Ellen Page) back to his studio/bungalow; the teen, though, is a lot more formidable than she looks. The set-up strains credibility on screen; like David Mamet’s Oleanna, Hard Candy seems better suited to the stage. Wilson and Page are compelling and Slade demonstrates a slick stylistic flair, but the over over-the-top shock pandering renders the dark lesson convoluted and hard to swallow.

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