The Woodsman Review

"THE WOODSMAN" reviews

Movie

THE WOODSMAN

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-25 21:09:36

Provider

MRIB

Review

It's fair to say a film treating paedophilia with a measure of compassion is not a shoe-in for box office success. Yet The Woodsman deserves a fair hearing, being a film made with intelligence which, thankfully, keeps hysteria on hold.

Kevin Bacon is Walter, a convicted child molester who's released from jail after completing a ten year sentence. His chances of avoiding recidivism aren't helped by the location of his apartment overlooking a school playground, nor by the attentions of a suspicious cop and unfriendly sister. Though he secures work, things quickly come undone when a vengeful secretary distributes the dirt to work colleagues after discovering it on the internet. Plagued by his own deviance, Walter struggles to keep himself in check. His bus journey home has him continually encounter a pre-teen schoolgirl and the cold, obsessive character hidden within begins to torment him and his world starts to unravel.

The much-travelled Bacon is superb in this difficult title role - unbelievably his second outing as a peaedophile (after Sleepers) - and he receives strong support from rappers Mos Def and Eve amongst others. Kyra Sedgwick, Bacon's real-life wife plays his spouse and director Nicole Kassell has elicited an outstanding story which may guilt many a viewer as they wrestle with their allegiances as the story unwinds.

Taking this role (it was turned down by numerous big name stars) won't restore Bacon's profile to Footloose levels, but it adds to his impressive repertoire since he ceased being A-list. He may have been more popular but he's rarely been better.

Copyright © MRIB 2005.