As a film, The Woodsman is somewhat unfulfilling (outside of it’s excellent performances all around) as it’s episodic narrative and periods of utter silence are at times heavy-handed and repetitive, but it’s a powerful film about the need for redemption for those things inside that aren’t always under our control. It’s a moody and haunting film that doesn’t attempt to reach a conclusion as much as it seeks only to open a window into a world we don’t necessarily wish to see.
The Woodsman
3 & 1/2 Stars
A film with a convicted pedophile as it’s sympathetic main character is a pretty hard sell, even with the critical acclaim of Michael Cuesta’s L.I.E. and Todd Solondz’s Happiness, which makes Nicole Kessel’s The Woodsman all the more effective.
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Kevin Bacon stars as Walter, a recently released pedophile who spent 12 years in prison for molesting little girls, and who’s transition to outside life is weighed down by more than just the trials and tribulations any released con might experience. Kyra Sedgwick plays the rough and tumble co-worker who’s persistent and accepting enough to make a place for herself in his otherwise solitary life. Walter’s crimes (and the impulses that created them) aren’t something that can be willed away or easily suppressed, and everyday is a constant struggle to achieve some semblance of a normal life. Outcast from his family and friends and viewed with justified suspicion by a concerned cop (an excellent Mos Def), Walter spends his days alone with his thoughts and desires.
Bacon gives what may well be one of the best performances of his career as the tortured Walter. Each and every look, sigh, and action is burdened with an almost physical sense of shame and regret. He’s haunted by his actions, and is palpatably fearful of what he may yet do. Less a story than an extended look into the mind of an individual who’s mere existence is an affront to all we hold dear as a society, The Woodsman never passes judgment, as Walter does so to himself over and over again. The roots of his desires are left murky (as are the specifics of his crimes), so all we are left with are the questions of how anyone can stop those thoughts that come unbidden to our mind. Bacon’s performance is certainly a riveting one. His face has never been so expressive as those moments when his eyes convey a man just inches away from an impossible abyss.
As a film, The Woodsman is somewhat unfulfilling (outside of it’s excellent performances all around) as it’s episodic narrative and periods of utter silence are at times heavy-handed and repetitive, but it’s a powerful film about the need for redemption for those things inside that aren’t always under our control. It’s a moody and haunting film that doesn’t attempt to reach a conclusion as much as it seeks only to open a window into a world we don’t necessarily wish to see.
The Woodsman is certainly no party film (unless your parties often turn into think pieces about child molestation), but it’s exceptional cast and compelling subject matter will certainly generate discussion after viewing. A study of a man constantly at war with himself, The Woodsman makes for an excellent foray into worlds we’re uncomfortable contemplating.