One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Good concept, poorly executed.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The Woodsman I believe is a very important film that opens our eyes and allows us to sympathize with even the most despicable people: pedophiles. The story follows Walter (Kevin Bacon) after his release from a 12 year sentence for child molesting and his struggle to fit in the community again and be "normal." We have no sympathy for his 12 year imprisonment, nor should we, however we do, at times, begin to sympathize with Walter throughout his reentering into the community. But our sympathy is met with a dilemma, brought on by Sgt. Lucas (Yasiin Bay) and Walter's co-worker Mary Kay. Mary realizes that there is something wrong with Walter, so she starts digging and finds out about his history and why he was sent to prison. She feels a morale obligation to notify everyone of this. Now she may have come off as low trash by doing that, but was she wrong to do it? Shouldn't people know this, to be more cautious with their kids around him? Then we have Sgt. Lucas, who is very cynical of and loathes and degrades people like Walter, as do most people, and we can't help but agree, whenever Lucas visits Walter we're always taking his side. But when Walter is alone and we see that shame, that self hate in his eyes, we can see and understand something more. We begin to see the true evil here, it is not the pedophile, it is pedophilia, and Walter is cursed with it. This is true for a lot of forms of evil, it is not the rapper that is the enemy, it is the lust which leads to rape, the greed that leads to corruption, and so on. This in no way excuses the person who carries out these actions, but understanding this helps us view and treat these people in a more human and empathetic manner.

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.

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.

Unbelievably beautiful and heart-piercing performance by Kevin Bacon! I couldn't help but tear up at his agonizing battle towards being a normal, socially-accepted human being. Bacon plays the role of Walter, a child molester who has been recently released from prison after doing a ten-year sentence. The movie follows his attempts to reunite with his estranged sister, and psychologically and socially conform to his new surroundings, bearing the burden of his past sins along the way.The story does not sympathize with Walter in any way. On the contrary, it portrays him as a weak man, easily shattered and susceptible to relapse. Nevertheless, it focuses on the society and the prejudiced mainstream view that provocatively incriminates and gives no chance for redemption, forgetting that evil is a fire that feeds on hatred and rejection. The Woodsman only poses some humanistic questions and leaves you to ponder on then: Aren't our sins the outcome of other's sins? Are those sins beyond redemption? Are we really to blame?The only letdown, story-wise, is the seemingly unrealistic and forced pieces of information. They are supposed to endorse the plot and the underlying dilemma of the story. However, they only made things too incredible to me. For example, Vickie discloses to Walter that she was sexually abused by her brothers. Walter and his sister had this sexual intimacy as kids. Robin, the girl in the park, reveals that she is being molested by her father. Walter spots a sex offender across the street!! What the hell Fetcher and Kassell were thinking?! A story of the Land of the Sexually Perverted?!