The Woodsman

In The Woodsman, Kevin Bacon plays Walter, a paedophile in his 40’s who has left prison as the film begins, and is trying to put his past exploits behind him. However life on the outside isn’t easy, he sees kids coming out of a school every day, he still harbours those feelings, can he keep them in check ? As well as that, how will those near to where he is living, react ?

This is an intelligent portrayal of a paedophiliac – it doesn’t offer him any sympathy, he doesn’t ask for any but its also creditably non-sensationalist, muted even. It avoids over-dramatics and instead concentrates on the dilemmas faced by someone who has paid their debt to society and is looking for a chance not to re-offend if he can. Its well acted and has a sense of tension throughout merely because you don’t know which way director Nicole Kassell is going to take it.

Ultimately it doesn’t offer quite as much as you expect to, promising more than it delivers, but there is one scene late on that is worth the price of admission on its own. Walter is involved in a chance meeting with a young 10 year old girl in a park and Walter’s behaviour towards this young girl is going to shape his future. It’s a telling scene with great dialogue and nothing else in the film gets near it.

Matt Arnoldi