Walden

Unlike other critics here, I did not feel this movie was slow-paced or boring or uneventful. I think some people just need lots of action, murder and thrills when they watch anything these days. In my opinion this movie is very good, but not great. I think the main issue lies with the main character. Anyone who has lived in the south for a considerable amount of time has known a guy like Walden. The seersucker suit, bow tie-wearing, seemingly asexual, forever single goober who's everyone's friend and shows up at ever social function to talk everyone's ear off is a staple character in every southern town. You always sense there's something dark underneath that person, but you hope to heaven that darkness never comes out. Hirsch really gets ahold of that stereotype and manages to put some additional layers in to make the guy not totally creepy, annoying, or unrelatable. The problem is that I never felt like I could get on his side. It might be because neither his backstory nor his medical revelation seems as effectively sympathetic as the writer may have hoped, or because his actions seem more motivated by selfish, psychopathic desires rather than to rid society of bad people. I think the ease with which he commits these acts right from the beginning makes his psychopathic nature eclipse any sense of his main motivation being justice. Whatever the case, Walden is definitely a complex character, just not a likable one.

A stenographic vigilante is not a common theme and opens up vast number of avenues for the plot to grow. But the movie's first half was too distracted with introducing the manic nature of the central character rather than focusing on the plot's progress. Introducing irrelevant characters such as romantic partners wasn't making much effect or useful. Final twist was great but police showing their findings for the sake of neighborly acquaintance was one out of many illogical things in this story. However the visuals were haunting and performances were sincere. Walden is a story that's very much interesting when summed up.

It took me awhile to get into this movie but once I did I guess I kinda enjoyed it a little bit. Emile hirsch was great and really was what kept the whole movie watchable . It really had strong B movie vibes and some of the acting was mediocre at best however it was really fun watching the whole story play out and I really loved Emile hirsch like I said he was funny and good but the other actors weren't really that good even the judge wasn't that good but Emile hirsch was good if you're a Emile hirsch fan I would say watch it but if you aren't I'd say go ahead and skip it cause he's the only thing that kept it together.

I feel like the pacing and writing was massively meant for television. It was good film but but protracted at points and then wrapped up too quickly. It felt it had threads to unwrap but none of them did in a one hour and forty minute film. Acting was great and production very good but it did, at times, feel like a television series.

Main guy camps up the main role but presumably on purpose to make it feel less droll with the subject matter in hand which at times is as dark as it gets.

Enjoyed this but interested to know if it was meant instalments which might mean more films or a spin off series.

'Walden; isn't too highly rated on here at the moment and I think it's mark should be higher than it is. It is an entertaining movie with a fine performance from Emile Hirsch in the lead role. He is awkward, a little odd and convinces as the character.

There are overtones of 'Dexter' which quite a few people will think as they watch this but 'Walden' stands out on it's own merits and is well worth watching. I thought that the story never dragged and it was interesting to me until the very end. David Keith is good as a sort of mentor to Walden and the rest of the cast are decent. Give this one a try.