CANDY

Australia, 2006, 116 minutes, Colour.
Abby Cornish, Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush, Noni Hazlehurst, Tony Martin, David Argue, Tom Budge, Tim Mc Kenzie, Tara Morice.
Directed by Neil Armfield.

There have been many striking films about drug addiction in recent years from Drugstore Cowboy through Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to Requiem for a Dream. These films show the fascination with drugs, the highs and hallucinations, the decisions about going off drugs and the experience of withdrawal. The hallucinations can be both beautiful and terrifying. Withdrawal can be a portrait of horror and pain.

They are all here in Candy. Nothing particularly new (though that should not be a criterion for dismissal as is sometimes the danger). But, the setting is an Australian one, centred in Sydney, and that gives Candy its own individuality and its appeal/communication for an Australian audience. The appeal beyond Australia is in the writing, the direction and performances.

The writing: Luke Davies has collaborated with director, Neil Armfield, to bring his novel to the screen. It is particularly Australian, frank and direct, with moments both of humour and literate style.

The direction: Neil Armfield is best known for his theatre work for several decades. His main work in cinema was a stylised adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in the 1980s. He brings a deft hand to his work here. The film looks good and moves well. The withdrawal experience over three days and Candy’s miscarriage and its aftermath are both horrifying and persuasive.

The performances: Armfield has been able to cast four Australian Film Institute Best Acting winners. Abbie Cornish made a strong impression in Somersault (and One Perfect Day). Young, vigorous and attractive, she makes Candy a sympathetic victim of her mother’s hard love as well as acting on whims for starting on drugs and her wilfulness in continuing. Her love for Danny is palpable even though she risks losing him.

On the other hand, the film is Heath Ledger’s as Danny. He is the centre and offers the voiceover. Again, he acts on whim and is wilful – but in a far more laidback and carefree manner. He prefers to while away his life even though he has capacities for more, for more creative and intelligent work. His reaction to the miscarriage is moving.

Then there is Geoffrey Rush as a self-indulgent lecturer, a smiling but ultimately wicked father-figure, complicit in his friends’ destruction. The contrary is strongly to the fore in Noni Hazelhurst’s uptight and controlling mother, dominating her kindly husband (Tony Martin). The sequence where the couple announce Candy’s pregnancy and the mother’s silent vigilance is contrasted with the father’s hugging and passionately weeping gives strong indications of how we are to respond to these characters.

The film is divided into three parts that explain themselves: Heaven, Earth, Hell. But, the film is not without hope. Hell need not be the end.

1.The impact of the film? Films about drugs and addiction? Films about disturbed personalities? The interconnection between disturbance and drugs? Hope and despair? Authentic and real?

2.The Sydney settings, the streets and shops, the ordinary life, homes, the different class areas, the countryside and authenticity? The songs and the lyrics? The score?

3.The structure of the film into: Heaven, Earth, Hell? The ending as eternal damnation – or an escape from Hell?

4.The adaptation from the novel? The language, the poetry, Emily Dickenson and carrying a heart in a heart? The background of literature, science, art? Intelligence – but addiction?

5.The title and the focus on Candy? The focus on Dan and his voice-over? The emotional response to Candy? To Dan?

6.The opening image of the Rotor, the Whirl, movement, speed, people stuck but not falling? The recurring image?

7.Dan and Candy, the strength of the performances? The introduction to them, Dan’s commentary, age, the relationship, the vitality? Love between them? Dreamers? Not willing to face reality? Dan and his use of drugs, his friend and the supply? Candy and her wanting to experiment? In the bath, her collapse, the need for saline solution? The revival – and her saying that it was good and wanting more?

8.Dan and Candy and their life together, squatting, her painting, Dan watching Tarkovsky on SBS, the cryptic crosswords? Living on the dole? Their potential and its not being realised? Wanting more drugs, pawning the ring, the sex with the pawnbroker? Her becoming a hooker? Dan and the possibility of earning money by sex, his discussions with Casper, the resisting to the gay scene? At the toilet, stealing the client’s wallet, using his card, phoning him to get the number? Going to the bank, his performance, the PIN number – and the use of the money for a more upmarket way of life?

9.Casper, Geoffrey Rush’s performance? Dan’s voice-over explaining Casper, the father figure, his lecturing at the university, chemistry, gay and his friend? Having money? Supplying drugs? The university and his brewing heroin, his explanations? The realisation of what was happening, helping Dan? His visit to Casper? Dan desperate? Casper not wanting Dan to die before him? Casper’s own death? A futile life?

10.Candy and Dan and the decision to marry, visiting her parents? The kindly father, the hard mother? The meal, the discussions about money, Dan trying to spin a tale to get money from his father-in-law? Candy and her clashes with her mother, the whipped cream episode? Her making fists at her mother? The wedding ceremony, the joy? The reception, the mother observing? Dan and his taking drugs, Candy joining him? The discussion with the uncle about investment? The moving to the country? The visit of her parents, again the fists, her anger, the outburst again her mother?

11.People’s behaviour at the reception, the family members, the uncle and money, the drugs, Dan going to sleep? The father excusing the situation?

12.Candy being pregnant, her father’s joy, weeping? The mother and her reaction? Their decision to go ‘cold turkey’? The dramatic impact of the three days, their being numbered on the screen, the postures, the pain, the torment? Audiences sharing in the experience? Candy, hospital, the miscarriage? Her wanting to hold the stillborn child? Dan and his wanting to hold the child? Candy sleeping with the baby?

13.The discussions about their addiction, the greater tension, her going back to prostitution? Time passing? Dan living in his fantasy world, letting the world drift by? Her intensity?

14.In the country, their work, the set-up, the skylight? The fiasco of the parents’ visit? Candy and the man from the store? Dan and his working hard? The collapse, the abuse by Candy, her scrawling on the walls? Dan and his dismay when he saw the situation?

15.Candy’s collapse, going to the hospital? The parents, the father and his saying that anything had to go for Candy, even getting drugs? The mother urging them to let Dan go? The characters of the parents, wealth, class? Disappointment in their daughter? Love?

16.Candy’s collapse, in hospital, recuperation, getting out? Dan going to Casper, Casper’s death? Working in the Chinese restaurant?

17.Candy coming to visit, Dan unable to raise the energy to go with her? Their love? Their separation? Their futures? Any future together?