Like, OMG, I LUV Goldfrapp 2!

For those who are tired of the idiotic scream queens of horror flicks...
For those who are horrified by internet predators...
For those who are bored by pretty much everything on Lifetime...

I give you Hard Candy 

Simply for its incredibly small cast, simple sets, and dearth of special effects, this film stands out from the big-budgeted, mega-casted, CGIed-within-an-inch-of-its-life productions being cranked out by hollywood today.

As the DVD cover suggests, this is a Little Red Riding Hood for modern audiences.  Only our heroine Hayley (Ellen Page) is not falling for the wolf-in-granny's clothing ploys of photographer Jeff (Patrick Wilson).  The movie opens with the provocative chat room banter between the two as they set up a meet and greet.  Hayley is 14, Jeff is 32.

As they "get to know each other" at the coffee shop, Hayley shows herself to be a shy, precocious girl whose mind is years ahead of her peers.  Jeff is saying all the right things, being charming and interesting, just enough to leave a girl wanting more.  He knows just the right thing to get Hayley to go home with him, under innocent circumstances.

You think you know where this is going...girl goes home with guy...guy drugs girl...etc., but it's at Jeff's pad that the tables get turned.  Suspenseful and ensnaring, this is has several twists to keep you guessing.  Both characters are well-written, especially Hayley, who is brilliantly articulate without sounding preposterously Dawson's Creek-y.  MPAA gives this a well-deserved R for "disturbing violent and aberrant sexual content involving a teen, and for language."   Page takes on this mature role admirably, earning a nomination for best breakout performance.  Wilson, of Phantom and Angels fame, does a fine job. Sandra Oh and two glorified extras complete the casting for this film.

A bit of trivia:  horribly under-rated, this film did pick up some awards at the Catalonian International Film Festival in Sitges, Spain.   M'agrada la gent catalana.