 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
The
Woodsman
|
 |
|
By a strange coincidence, several movies, circulating simultaneously, tackle the tricky job of humanising men whom society justifiably casts as monsters. Walter (Kevin Bacon), a convicted sex offender attempting to reintegrate himself into society after a jail term, may not be as spectacularly well-known as Adolf Hitler (the subject of Downfall [2004]) – but any film that dares to evoke sympathy for a child molester is taking a huge risk with audiences. For the most part The Woodsman, adapted by Steven Fechter from his play, manages to handle this challenge judiciously and delicately. Yet the film's carefulness also leads to a fundamental bloodlessness: the material is never pushed to the point where it might really challenge its viewers. The Woodsman has a fascinating subject, but the big problem is that it has no story. The film observes what it is like for Walter to re-enter society – to interact with adults at work or children in the mall, to begin a mature sexual relationship with the no-nonsense Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick) or move beyond his burden of guilt. But nothing (apart from one nerve-wracking scene in a park with a little girl) actually tests Walter, or puts him in a dramatic situation that acts as a moral or ethical crucible. And a strange plot resolution, involving a suspicious man whom Walter spots and tracks, comes all too quickly and easily. Betraying its stage origins, The Woodsman amounts to a series of dialogues, filmed in the uninspiring manner of television drama: Walter with Vickie, with a psychiatrist, with his partly sympathetic brother-in-law Carlos (Benjamin Bratt), or with the cop (Mos Def) who relentlessly hounds him. Bacon gives an excellent performance, but it also feels somewhat unguided – as if first-time director Nicole Kassell was overwhelmed by the calibre of her actors, and simply let them do their thing in front of the camera. © Adrian Martin May 2005 |
