The Woodsman

Greetings again from the darkness. Although I am a self-proclaimed Kevin Bacon hater, let me stand up and shout that this is not only his best ever performance (by far) but also a performance that will stand up against most any dramatic turn by any actor. For the first time, Bacon is understated rather than overacting and hamming. The film and Bacon capture the emotional torment of a recently released from prison child molester as he struggles to fit in and "be normal". Bacon's remarkable acting is extremely well supported by (his real life wife) Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def, Benjamin Bratt and a most surprising Eve. Bacon's eyes are truly haunting and we feel his pain as he struggles to find a bit of joy amidst his demons. Two weak script features were the rapidness of Sedgwick's character's acceptance of Bacon and the over the top scene in the park with young Robin. Otherwise, the realism was gritty and believable. Not one I want to see again, but the creepiness and edginess make it worth seeing.

An intelligent and thought-provoking film that never flinches from it's subject matter, and includes a superb performance from it's leading man. Kassell's film manages to steer clear of didacticism and lays the misunderstandings and prejudices about, and ignorance of, paedophilia open for the audience to interpret in their own way. The protagonist is neither a sympathetic hero or a villain, but during the course of the film he wavers between the two leaving the audience both supportive and sickened. This amalgam of conflicting emotions makes 'The Woodsman' essential viewing for a rational, adult audience. I only wonder how an audience would react to a paedophile played by an unknown actor without Bacon's profile, as I suspect many people would find it harder to accept without his charisma or celebrity attached to the film.

I saw this movie at the Vancouver Film Festival. Not only was it one of the best movies I saw at the fest, but one of the best of the year. I truly believed it to be Bacon's career performance.

The script is solid, full of great dialogue and thick symbolism. The characters all fully developed and never one-sided. Each has their dark side. A commendable effort to Emmy winner, Mos Def, who makes us hate him when he's a good cop, and love him when he's a bad one.

The reason the rating is so low is because it's hard to accept a character that is a child molester. Probably because everyone knows someone or is someone who has been sexually abused. This is a film about redemption and forgiveness--something we can all definitely agree with. It is also a story about humanity--something we all have in common.

saw the tuesday morning showing at Sundance and let me tell you, this is by far the best thing Mr. Bacon has ever done, and should garner him some acting awards this year, though since the subject of the movie deals with a tabboo subject, it might not get picked up by a major studio, and with limited release could keep him out oscar contention. I don't care though, he and his wife pull out incredible performances and if acting awards are giving to great actors, he deserves one for this movie.

I'm not going to go into the plot, basically it's based on a play that I never saw, (obviously living in the Midwest, we rarely get plays). and deals with a convicted pedofile trying to re-adjust to live after 12 years in prison, as well as confronting the demons that put him in jail in the first place. Kyra plays a woman who befriends him, and even after she finds out what his crime was, falls in love with him and assists him with his struggles. of note is a very special performance by a young Hannah Pilkes who plays a young bird watcher who temps Bacon's character and shows him that abuse is everywhere.

Walter (Kevin Bacon) is the new man at work. Bob (David Alan Grier) often hires ex-cons and Mary-Kay (Eve) is suspicious. Viki (Kyra Sedgwick) quickly sleeps with the new guy. His only friend is Carlos (Benjamin Bratt). He finally tells Viki that he was in prison for molesting a couple of young girls. After the initial shock, she restarts their relationship revealing her own story of molestation by her 3 brothers. Police officer Lucas (Mos Def) is abusive to the ex-con while his therapist (Michael Shannon) tries to work out his issues. He suspects the man hanging out at a neighboring park is a child molester.

The performances are terrific especially Kevin Bacon who keeps his character tightly wound. Walter following those little girls is super creepy. The camera angles of the girls are awkward. There are a lot of cringe-worthy moments in the movie but that's the point. It's suppose to be creepy but it's definitely not for everyone.