If there is any one movie I would ever recommend to discourage someone from trying Heroin or even to stop someone who is doing it this is the movie I would show them.
I was somewhat blasé when my girlfriend chose this as our weekly movie that we go see, personally I actually wanted to go see Superman Returns, possibly because it had Heath Ledger in it, possibly because it was just another druggie movie. I'm still not sure whether we should have just gone to see Superman, not because it was a bad movie, quite the opposite. I have to say that this is one of the best movies I have ever seen (and that is quite a claim I know), but I don't think that I could ever see it again.
That said, I would definitely recommend this to you all. It is a brilliant piece, frighteningly realistic, intense and very powerful. I never wanted to try Heroin ever and this film certainly hit that home. If I ever hear someone say they want to try it normally I would just call them an idiot and leave it alone, but now I think I would absolutely go off at them. This movie certainly cannot be accused of glorifying drugs.
Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish totally made this movie their own. Their chemistry is at times absolutely beautiful and wonderful, and at other times frightening and unnerving. The number one feeling this movie left me with was quite uncomfortable and also somewhat disturbed. And that I believe is exactly what this movie was attempting to do, realism at it's best. Berthold Brecht himself couldn't have done better himself.
I've never seen Abbie Cornish in anything else before this, but if her other work is as brilliant as her performance as Candy in this film, point me in it's direction. Abbie was absolutely brilliant, especially in the wide range of emotions and personalities she had to portray.
My one criticism for this film (if you could call it a criticism) is that it may be too realistic (it is almost as if someone had just filmed this couple's life and put it in the cinema) and some scenes could be somewhat disturbing for some people but I believe that is the point of the film. Call it a warning.
I know this isn't exactly the most well written review and I hope it makes sense, but this is one film I have actually been motivated to write a review about and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
