2006 / David Slade > There is little doubt in my mind that Hard Candy is an exercise in sensationlism. It reeks of judgment, and lures the viewer into a world where minds have been made up about what is right and what is wrong. That is the bad part; fortunately, Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson put on such an incredible show that it’s hard to turn away from the ridiculousness that follows. The character study of the two is stupefying, changing at the velocity of a ping pong ball. Aside from them, the cinematography is simple and beautiful sans a few unnecessary editing techniques that often feel gimmicky rather than functional. In the end, however, there is a disturbing emptiness due to the absence of any proper social/moral commentary.