Kevin Bacon delves into dangerous territory in The Woodsman, a courageous and often moving drama about a convicted paedophile trying to go straight. Released from jail after a 12-year stretch, Walter (Bacon) takes a job in a Philadelphia lumberyard and a downtown apartment opposite a primary school. Soon his guilty secret's out and a lynch mob's braying for his blood, but tough-talking co-worker Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick) is convinced he's changed. No sensational thriller, Nicole Kassell's understated movie proves disturbingly creepy.
"Will I ever be normal?" begs Walter of his therapist. It's a question that runs through the heart of this low-key drama. Walter seems kind and repentant, yet can he ever be forgiven or trusted again? Plenty of the supporting characters think the answer to that is no - especially bullying parole officer (a remarkable Mos Def) who's just itching to throw him back behind bars. Forever.
"BACON ACTS WITH EVERY PORE OF HIS BODY"
Conflicted by his unspeakable desires ("I molested little girls. But I never hurt them," he whispers only half-aware of the contradiction), Walter's being literally torn apart by his own self-contempt. Holding on Bacon's face in tight close-up, Kassell gazes, amazed as he acts with every muscle, every pore of his body.
Arguing that being ostracised for his past crimes makes Walter more likely to re-offend, Kassell's film cuts through the tabloid headlines to the human drama beyond. Sadly, its botched attempts at redemption ring false, which may leave some to wonder what might have happened if a star with less to lose had taken the lead.
The Woodsman (2005)
