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Reviews
I Want Candy (2007)
A Nice Little Comedy That Doesn't Try Too Hard
I Want Candy is the story of two aspiring film-students who find themselves making a porn film in Leatherhead.
Looking at the poster for the film, I was expecting this to be a dumb British version of the all-too familiar teen comedies that pollute our screens every summer (American Pie, Dude Where's My Car?, Not Another Teen Movie, etc.). How wrong I was. It's not the greatest film ever made, but it doesn't try to be.
Surprisingly, there's no nudity in the film whatsoever and the references to sex and porn are handled with a modicum of taste - again, not what you would expect.
Eddie Marsan (Gangster No.1, Vera Drake, The Illusionist) is excellent, as usual, as the sleazy film producer whilst Mackenzie Crook blesses us with his presence as a lecturer who desperately seeks kudos from the students.
My two criticisms of the film would have to be the typical Hollywood ending (which, like Carmen Electra, didn't really suit the sleepy Leatherhead suburb location) and the poor characterisation of Baggy (one of the two male leads).
I would probably recommend this film to friends - if only for the very funny bathroom scene.
Gone (2006)
A commendable directorial debut from Ringan Ledwidge
Gone, despite the lame title, is an enjoyable film from first time director Ringan Ledwidge.
A very underplayed thriller revolving around the relationship between a backpacking British couple and a suspicious American, I found the film refreshing for managing to avoid the same traps that most films of this genre stumble with.
The catalyst of the film - the relationship between the two male leads - was handled delicately, full of nuance, and was almost Hitchcockian in its building of suspense.
As the events of the film are comparable to the recent Peter Falconio / Joanne Lees case, it would have been advisable to set the film elsewhere - especially since the vast expanse of the Australian outback has been seen too recently in films like John Hillcoat's 'The Proposition' and Phillip Noyce's 'Rabbit Proof Fence'. A possible alternative for the location of the film could have been New Zealand's South Island - picturesque, isolated, and just as popular with backpackers as Australia.
I was lucky enough to see a preview screening of the film, followed by a Q&A session with Ringan Ledwidge and Amelia Warner. Definitely one to watch, Warner could be a future English rose of the film industry (especially if she manages to avoid wearing orange lamé blouses in public!). Watch this space!
Elsewhere on this site, there is mention of the film being a rip-off of Dead Calm. Although I can see the similarities, Gone is a much more intriguing film. Although the two films deal with the same issues, I see Dead Calm as a popcorn film for the masses. Gone, on the other hand, is much more cerebral and perfect for an audience who appreciates attention to detail.
I would definitely recommend this film to friends.