Review of Candy (2013) by Matt C — 10 Jun 2009

Candy is the sort of drug movie that has been made thousands upon thousands of times. The difference here is that this is the only time Heath Ledger has starred in one. And that definitely makes a difference. Most actors will use a bleak romantic druggy drama like this to ham it up and spit and ganash and slurp and swizzle their way into our hearts.

Not Ledger. As befits his strengths, his performance is one of quiet stillness. He never overplays anything, even when we get into the darker, more harrowing moments of the story where the temptation to Act with a capital A-C-T could become overwhelming. This is why he is considered to be such a great actor to begin with. He creates a gentle, kind soul in Dan who eventually becomes ravaged by the horrors of drug use.

More than anything else from this movie, the saddest you will ever be is the moment you realize that Heath Ledger is gone and will never return again. The potential here was enormous. You will probably emerge from this movie in a nihilistic, world-hating mood.