rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 2004
Directed by Nicole Kassell; produced by Lee Daniels; screenplay by Nicole Kassell, Steven Fechter
Starring Kevin Bacon, David Alan Grier, Eve, Kyra Sedgwick, Benjamin Bratt, Carlos Leon, Michael Shannon, Mos Def
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
Kevin Bacon can play normal sympathetic characters like he did in 'Mystic
River' but he is just as good as pure evil with 'Sleepers' as a fine
example. In 'The Woodsman' he plays a character that is sort of both, a
pedophile on parole after twelve years in prison. The evil part here is
different from how it was in 'Sleepers'; he is sick and he does not like
little girls by choice. Acting on it, now that probably is really a choice,
but what do I know about it?
We follow Bacon, named Walter here, on his new job where he tries to find
his way back into society. One of the co-workers (played by Eve) knows there
is something not right about him. A woman named Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick) likes
him, feels his need for someone. As for his family, only his brother-in-law
(Benjamin Bratt) still talks to him. For him Walter is a man who deserves a
second chance, that is until he messes up again of course. One of the people
who thinks he will is Sgt. Lucas (Mos Def) who visits him regularly, doing
more harm than good with his speeches.
'The Woodsman' closely watches this character and Bacon does such a great
job that everything we see seems plausible. There is a scene where Walter
talks to a girl in a park and it sums up all our feelings we have for
Walter. We hope he will not do something stupid because he has our sympathy
but at the same time the scene is as creepy a scene can be since we know
what could happen and has happened before. Director Nicole Kassell does not
force scenes like this. They simply play as a part of Walter's life and it
is kind of brilliant how she simply observes what happens instead of taking
a side like most people would do. We follow her in the observation and I
think most people will share the director's view.