Saturday, June 21, 2008

"Hard Candy: The Last Stand"

Author(s): Patrick D.
Location: Long Island, NY

"Hard Candy: The Last Stand"

Directed by: David Slade
Written by: Brian Nelson

Main Cast

Ellen Page as Hayley Stark
Paddy Considine as Simon Davis
Ashley Johnson as Tracey Wallace
Eric Bogosian as John Robbins
Willem Dafoe as Eric Stark
Patrick Wilson as Jeff Kohlver

Tagline: "Last summer, she was the predator. This summer, she's the pray"

Synopsis: Taking place three years after Hard Candy, Hayley Stark (Page) has just been released from prison after being convicted of Manslaughter, after a exhausting police investigation headed by Detective John Robbins (Bogosian). She must deal with her personal demons, and be accepted by her father, Eric (Dafoe), who can't find it in himself to forgive her for what she did. She also must keep herself in line, as she's under surveillance by the police. Mostly Detective Robbins, who's not convinced that she's given up her vigilante ways.

But when her friend Tracey (Johnson) confesses to Hayley that she was raped by Simon Davis (Considine), her boss at a convenience store. Hayley begins to forget her goals and plans a revenge for Simon. When she attempts the attack, she quickly realizes that Detective Robbins has placed her under 24-hour watch, and that nothing she does goes un-noticed. She decides to work at the store, and learn more about Davis, trying to think of a way she could get revenge for her friend without being seen. When Simon attempts to rape Hayley, she fights him off and alerts the police. Not only do they not believe her, but they can't find any "probable cause." But she doesn't quit there.

Taking a complete 180 degree turn from the original, this sequel to Hard Candy changes everything from the first. Following a new formula, new structure, and new story. With a heart-pounding climax and startling conclusion, Hard Candy: The Last Stand can be compared the the Godfather Part II's of it's generation, one of the rare sequels as good as the original.

What the Press would say:

"Spellbinding!" - Chicago Sun-Times

"Two Thumbs up!" - Ebert and Roeper at the Movies.

"F! This movie made me force my daughters to quit acting!" - Rolling Stone.

There have been sequels I've seen that have been needless cash-ins. They have plots that sound like they were put together in minutes, and scripts that sould like they were written by eighth graders. But this one was made for substance, not cash (which isn't surprising since the original only made one million dollars). Ellen Page takes her preformance from the original film and makes it 10x better, 10x more complicated, and 10x more compelling. She's not just a girl on the edge anymore, she has something to lose. Paddy Considine takes his role and has fun with it, as sinister and evil as it is, he does his best to steal the show. Ashley Johnson runs with it, mixing sympathy and sadness, and coming out tear-jerking. Willem Dafoe and Eric Bogosian round out the talented cast, Dafoe playing the estranged father to a T, and Bogosian playing the obsessed officer with genuine emotion. Packed with crackling dialogue, heart wretching plot turns, and beautiful direction, Hard Candy: The Last Stand is a winner.

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