who's the real pervert in Hard Candy?

I was looking for horror/suspense/thriller films to watch the other day and listed them down for downloading.   I came upon Hard Candy and included it in the list simply because of Ellen Page.

image from Wiki

OMG.  This is a very disturbing, yet interesting, movie.  Even more disturbing than Orphan.  Not recommended for those who have a fairy tale view of things.  Actually, not for men.  Ross felt weak while watching it.

A cat-and-mouse psychotic thriller as incisive as it is stylish, Hard Candy delivers a provocative take on the revenge drama while jangling nerves at every turn. The film plunges us into an unstable universe where we cannot readily identify the "good guy" in the tense confrontation between a 14-year-old girl and the 32-year-old man she suspects of pedophilia and murder.

-- metacritic.com

Up to now, I don't really know who the real bad guy/pervert is.  I think it's both of them though.  Jeff, who would have had several chances of leaving, did not leave probably because he's a sado-masochist.  And Hayley, although really disturbing, seems to find pleasure in torturing and manipulating Jeff. 

I like the movie.  The dialogues are well-made, and the actors are great.  Especially Ellen Page.  She is so believable and, honestly, horrifying.  Imagine, meeting a 14-year old girl like that.  She's smart and determined and well, scary.  She's a psychopath to the next level.  I cannot imagine another actress being able to deliver like she did.

The only thing I don't get in the movie is...how is she able to haul Jeff up to the chair, to the table and to the ceiling with a noose? 

a rather late review of sucker punch: a misunderstood movie

i admit i'm one of those who rely heavily on reviews before pursuing something -- be it a movie, a book, a hotel or even a travel agency.  but in my opinion, a lot of people are wrong when they (mis)judged the movie Sucker Punch to be a plotless movie not worthy of a single cent.

from IMDB

yes, this is the Sucker Punch movie that featured four teenagers (is Abbie Cornish still considered a teenager?) locked in a mental asylum and used fantasies as their means to escape.  i just got to watch it a couple of days ago; thanks to the power of the internet.  the movie was not well-made, but i liked it.  at least the story underneath all the dancing, gun-toting-and-poking and kickboxing exhibitions.  yes, there was a story.  and i don't think it's just pretending to have a story.  maybe some of its viewers just didn't understand it completely.  or were initally disappointed of the bad acting.  or both.  probably both :)

anyway, i'm not a critic, and taking up one module of film criticism doesn't make me one.  but here's what i liked about it:

- it included the element of religion when baby girl's abusive uncle as a priest. 
it's as simple as that.  no lectures or sermons or over-rated representation of religious leaders.  sometimes it's better that way.

- the idea of a mental asylum being likened to a whorehouse, and vice-versa. 
in most movies that i've seen it's either a prison or a convent.  so yeah, it's refreshing to see the similarities and differences of the grims of an asylum to the burlesque lifestyle in a club.

- baby girl's dancing (no, she couldn't dance even to save her life, probably the reason why they focus on the way she closes her eyes as she starts fantasizing) as a way to hypnotize men. 
dancing.  and not beauty or sex. 

- baby girl's fantasies while she is being abused are completely different and far-fetched. 
i remember the british tv series, coupling.  in one of the episodes, when sally was accompanying susan to an antenatal session, she went to her "happy place" (complete with strings and quartet) when the discussion suddenly went to the mechanics of childbirth.
so you see, you don't have to literally show that women are being abused (honestly, it makes some movies look cheap and trying hard).  you don't have to show how they struggle and look lethargic afterwards.  happy place is not in sitting in the shower, soaking yourself.  i like it that zack snyder has presented women empowerment in a kick-ass way.  it's a different happy place.


now, what i didn't like about the movie:
- horrible acting
- the transitions were not that clear and smooth
- zack snyder could have picked a different baby girl and blondie and... actually, a different cast.  although madam gorski and blue are great actors.

i'm gonna make my own infinite playlist

i don't know how i've managed to miss watching this movie. i've read about this in blogs and in a few showbiz news, but i never really had the interest to look it up and watch it. until fairly recently. i finally decided to do some research and find out what it's about. i found the movie trailer, and oh. my. god. i immediately thought, "i have to watch this!" so, being the scrooge that i am, i asked ross to download it. i finally got to watch a few hours later...and i love it. i just love it. i love it more than juno.


i was also able to download (yay internet!) the soundtrack. yay!

post-valentine post

i almost forgot.

ross and i watched zsazsa zaturnnah ze musikal last valentine's. it was sooo funny and so good. i loved everything about it. the cast was very good. i especially loved the guy who played didi :)

it was a good thing we got good seats. i believe the P700 ticket (for the front and center seats) were worth it.

they will be presenting the musical again on march 7.

(photo from here)





oh, but before that, we watched push. the movie was okay. i agreed to watch it because i liked the trailer, and i was curious to see the change in dakota fanning's character. but, the movie was quite a drag. and somehow open-ended. so....
it's okay.



(photo from here)

and because it was valentine's day, sm cinemas gave coupons to claim cupcakes from frostings. they are so so good. the cupcakes that came with the coupon were mini cupcakes. ross got the smores flavor, i got the swiss chocolate. oh my god. the bread was so soft, but it didn't crumble when you bite into it like the other cupcakes. the flavor was so good. they're quite pricey thought, especially the regular-sized cupcakes.

(the first one was banana peanut butter, then smores, then swiss chocolate... more pictures here)