The Woodsman (2004)

Just perfect...

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Modern society is being engineered to embrace behaviors and lifestyles that were in the shadows in the same esteem as man-woman-children families that are the heart of any healthy society.God help the viewers of romanticized filth if they dare to speak truth, the will be condemned by the PC police who celebrate abortion and condemn traditional families as being insensitive.The best movies to watch are The 9th Gate and Eyes Wide Shut if you want to learn about how the elites program humans for their gradual enslavement....you can't enslave humans....you have to turn them into beasts first...same as war must dehumanize enemies you are supposed to hate and kill.

Kevin Bacon is excellent as Walter, an adult who returns to his hometown after a dozen years in prison. Although we don't know it at first, he's a convicted child molester, who's now doing his best to put his disgusting past behind him. He keeps to himself, trying to live his life in peace. A tough co-worker, Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick, a.k.a. Mrs. Kevin Bacon) who herself has a traumatic past, attempts to make a connection with him. One other person who'll give him the time of day is his brother-in-law Carlos (Benjamin Bratt); the main thorn in his side is a detective named Sergeant Lucas (Mos Def) who subscribes to that theory that "a leopard doesn't change his spots".A film like "The Woodsman" is going to be a hard slog for some people, especially if they've dealt with abuse in any way in their lives. They may find intolerable the idea of a story with a sex offender as the main character, particularly a story where even if the main character isn't treated as sympathetic, he's not demonized either. As we can see, Walter's just trying to live his life, for the most part. He's not exactly "cured", unsurprisingly, as we see him following girls and trying to strike up conversation with a solitary youngster, Robin (Hannah Pilkes). Walter, perhaps fatefully, has found an apartment near a playground, and he can recognize the predatory nature of another local character (Kevin Rice). He also seems to recognize something unnatural about Carlos' affection for his own daughter.Director Nicole Kassell scripted with Steven Fechter, upon whose play this was based. She seldom indulges in any sort of visual flourishes, instead giving the material believability and a gritty reality. She gets low key and compelling performances out of her entire cast. Bacon is extremely well supported by Sedgwick, Mos Def, David Alan Grier and Eve as co-workers, and Michael Shannon as a therapist.The reality of who Walter is as a person is never denied, but in the end you feel like he's turning a corner and a sense of hope is created.Eight out of 10.

This is an incredibly brave role for Kevin Bacon. He plays a child molester who comes back to his hometown after being incarcerated for 12 years. He gets a room in front of the local school. A woman befriends him at his work place. Another is offended by his lack of interest towards her. He has a sister who doesn't want to meet him. There is a policeman who comes up to his place to abuse him. He has started showing interest towards a 12 year old girl who he sees on the bus. Meanwhile, Bacon might have spotted another child molester active in the area. The movie, based on a play by Steven Fechter, is frankly amazing. I appreciate those dramas which move with the pacing of thrillers. It is edited brilliantly and at just above 80 minutes it is very absorbing. The performance by Bacon is for me his second best after Murder in the First. He truly gets inside the skin of the character and the viewer sympathizes with the molester almost from the beginning. The haunted look on his face is to be seen to be believed. Kyra Sedgwick as his love interest is good. Mos Def is surprisingly efficient as the police officer who has his suspicions.The movie is very highly recommended for all drama lovers. The subject matter seems to be the only reason Bacon did not get an Oscar nomination. 4 out of 5 for the Woodsman. Truly fantastic. Way beyond expectations.

The Woodsman is a calm and subtle drama with a simple premise, and an extraordinary execution. The reason the film is so successful is because it allows itself to be humanistic towards its protagonist, despite his unforgettable, demeaning acts. Kevin Bacon plays Walter, a convicted child molester who has just been released on parole after twelve years. He moves into a low rent apartment across the street from an elementary school, which had me raise an eyebrow. Aren't child molesters forbidden to go within "x" amount of feet of a school? No matter. It doesn't play a large role in the film, anyway. Walter gets a job at the neighborhood lumber-mill where he meets the foul-mouthed, yet kind-hearted Vicki, played by Kyra Sedgwick, Bacon's wife. Vicki is one of the only women at the mill, and accepts Walter as a human despite his evil demons. Not only do his personal demons conflict him, but Walter, also, can't seem to escape the doubts and clutches of his parole office, played by Mos Def.This is an wondrous film for a number of reasons. Not only does it care about its protagonist, despite his horrible past, it makes him into a human being. Not a monster. So many films, perhaps those with a larger,more grandiose budget, would've made the character of Walter into an overacting monster who acts on impulse and increasingly appalling idiocy. Thankfully, he is more controlled and supplies more substance than some would believe. The supporting cast is fantastic. Mos Def, a man who has a persona one would think only for comedy films, plays a hard-hitting parole officer well and doesn't provide any type of obtrusive or unwelcome comic relief. Michael Shannon, a woefully underused character actor, also does phenomenal work as Walter's suffering therapist, who is victim to smart remarks and verbal abuse.I think one of the unsung characters in the film is the atmosphere of the city. It's unapologetic and grimy, much like it is in real life. It also adds to the central theme of the film; redemption. Walter is a man that wants to get back out in the work force and keep to himself in the process. The problem is that society refuses to let him pursue that dream of living a quiet life. His actions have proved him to be disgusting and very sick, but also, we can't forget that he is a human, who feels emotions just like we do. Sometimes, that's hard to remember when someone has done something so unforgivable.The Woodsman was directed by Nicole Kassell, a first timer who graduated at NYU. She doesn't beat around the bush, or tries her luck with a bum comedy or a lame drama. She jumps right into controversial material with a terrifically unsettling character played by a marvelous character actor. This is one of those rare instances where a first time director delivers a film better than the work of a professional director. When dissected efficiently, that previous sentence is utterly unbelievable.Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def, Benjamin Bratt, Eve, Michael Shannon, and David Alan Grier. Directed by: Nicole Kassell.