The Woodsman Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)December 4th, 2004
THE WOODSMAN
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
Nicole Kassell's THE WOODSMAN is a chilling and compelling journey into a tormented mind. In an Oscar-caliber performance, Kevin Bacon plays Walter, the troubled soul in question. Just the opposite of an open book, Walter, with his downcast eyes and his sullen demeanor, doesn't want anyone inside his head. After spending twelve years in the pen, he doesn't want to share his deep, dark secrets with anyone, even the tough-as-nails forklift driver named Vickie, played perfectly by Bacon's wife Kyra Sedgwick. Vickie, who takes an instant shine to a loner like Walter, is ready to confess her worst sins to him, but he is not inclined to reciprocate. And, when he finally does, he immediately shows her the door since his guilt and embarrassment makes it extremely difficult for him to stay with someone once his secret is revealed.
So what did he do that was so awful and that will send him to prison again for life without the possibility of parole if he is caught doing it? He molested little girls, always between the ages of ten and twelve -- unless they lie about their age, which two did. He claims not to be a monster and that he never "harmed" them. "It's not what you think," he explains to Vickie, who likes to brag about not being easily shocked.
The movie provides no easy answers, and it has the good sense to know when to shut up and let the images tell the story. The way Walter looks away from adults and at little girls says things more powerfully than any dialog ever could. If you are an adult male, you may find yourself looking away from preteen girls afterwards and subconsciously looking over your shoulder to see if some policeman is ready to arrest you if you do accidentally notice them.
Walter is a guy who really, really wants to be "normal," but he isn't quite sure what that is. When he inquires of Carlos (Benjamin Bratt), his brother-in-law, whether he has "feelings" for his 12-year-old daughter, Carlos comes completely unglued, but the question is an honest one. Walter just wants to know if everyone shares his affliction, at least to some extent.
Walter's quest for normalcy isn't easy, and it isn't linear. In fact, it isn't clear if he'll ever make it. As he tells Vickie, most pedophiles are never cured and end up reincarcerated.
There is one particular scene -- after you see the film, you'll know exactly which one I'm talking about -- that is at once one of the best scenes of the year and one of the most troubling. One thing is certain, THE WOODSMAN is a relentlessly honest movie that takes you places you've never been before, and I'm not talking about some shocking depiction of sex. I'm talking about the way you can feel what it must be like to be both an ex-con and a registered sex offender whom the general public despises with a passion.
Before I end the review, I must mention the fascinating character of Sgt. Lucas (Mos Def). In a subplot worthy of its own movie, Def plays a unique and especially human police officer who sees it as his mission to put scum like Walter back in jail. Lucas can't understand why such criminals are ever released into society. Mos Def's character could easily be the basis for a smartly written television series. I'd watch it every week.
THE WOODSMAN runs 1:27. It is rated R for "sexuality, disturbing behavior and language" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, December 31, 2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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