But if that's what he's trying to do, I do not know how the director and the producer even raised it. The only character I empathize with and understand is the sister. I do not understand the blonde co-worker. Although short, there is still plenty of film.Bacon is fine, but even if he has that double feeling, what is done is already done. The others are very well. The brother-in-law, whom I do not understand either, has a moment of tension in which he is great.It has a photograph as all independent film uses. White video camera. Nothing special.The address, normal. Bored a little. If it is true to direct a script like that, it has to be difficult because of the connotations it carries.If you have another movie that may sound interesting, do not watch this one.

I think this film does broaden understanding of the extremely difficult issue of pedophilia.The story is extremely well told. Kevin Bacon is superb as the main character, Walter, a man with a pedophile past who has come out of prison and is trying to get his life together.The plot has some unexpected turns and is surprisingly neatly tied up at the end.This film respects its audience, we are never spoon fed the storyline or told how to respond to the characters.The world the characters inhabit is very real.Walter's struggle with his sexual desire is a little like a drug addition. There is a point in the film where things are going very badly for Walter and it is then that he is tempted towards starting to "groom" an underage girl. At this point in the film there is a great emotional understanding of what it is like to suffer as Walter does from this terrible problem that he has.The rather clever plot makes unexpected use of the nature of each character in the film. There is no clear division of good persons or bad persons, rather we find that the good or bad can reveal itself depending on circumstances.

This is the only movie I have ever given a perfect 10 to. Although you will see other 10-star movie ratings on my profile, and while I do have a favorite comedy and a favorite drama, I voted them 10 to boost their rating, which I felt was unfairly low.The reasons I gave The Woodsman this unprecedentedly-high mark is basically for two reasons: 1.) Kevin Bacon's courage to accept this role. and 2.) the fair depiction of Walter as not a monster, but rather, a normal, fairly intelligent, soft-spoken guy.One thing that I feel is a crucial aspect of this movie is the fact that the audience is never told the exact nature of what Walter did.., or, for that matter, whether he was even guilty. This should compel us to examine our collective condemnative nature: We are told he is guilty, so, to us, he is.At one point, I believe he does admit, to Kyra Sedgewick's character, that he "molested", but the question remains outstanding: Did he touch a girl's butt through her jeans? Did he kidnap a girl and sexually torture her for hours? There is quite a difference, but not in the eyes of the law, or the court of public opinion.By the tenderness displayed by Walter in the "park" scene, we could believe that he is the type of pedophile who treats young girls with just as much respect as he would a woman, had he been normal.Although Walter is depicted as a fairly caring, somewhat passive individual, we see the cruelty and relentless brutality of a society that makes no distinction between 1.)a kiss and 2.)forced sexual brutality, when it regards underage persons: His job is compromised by co-workers finding his photo on the Sexual Criminal List. A police detective threatens to throw him out the window of his own apartment, just because he can.I think the movie culminates with the scene at the park. We see that Walter is not a monster. Here, we see something that few wish to acknowledge: That there are different types of pedophiles, just like there are different types of men who have adult partners: 1.) There is the abusive and hurtful type like Robin's father. 2.) There is the kind and respectful type like Walter.This movie should be an extremely important sociological statement, but few will heed its instruction. To most, whether he touched a girl's butt or sexually tortured her, makes no difference. To them, he should die and not be allowed to live. Such is the courage and lucidity of this film, a film so intense as I should not watch it a second time.

Paedophilia is a difficult subject for any film maker to cover. It requires a great deal of tact, causing many to simply use them as a plot device or villain whilst avoiding elaborating on them to bypass any disputes on their portrayal. 'The Woodsman' completely disregards any potential controversies and goes for the jugular, placing Kevin Bacon front and centre as the troubled Walter.Upon his release from prison, Walter returns to his home-town to rebuild his life, only to find his past acts aren't forgotten. Ostracised by the vast majority of his family, he is ashamed and leads a quiet existence to avoid drawing any attention, failing when he attracts a co-worker, Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick) which leads to a complicated relationship.Throughout the feature, Bacon is the protagonist, forcing the viewer to see events from his perspective. I can only compliment the cast and crew as they manipulate your mindset to empathise with the criminals troubles despite your own opposition to what he has done. It's an impressive feat which is reinforced by a solid performance, be that as it may I never found myself rooting for him due to his previous act. An interesting point as this reflects on other people within the movie. Regardless of the time that had passed since the crimes, the road to redemption for Walter would be a long and arduous one, with an abundance of distrust along his path to atonement, including a run in with another predator outside his flat. Ignored when contacting police because of his past.Rather than going for a stereotypical depiction of a paedophile the character is given an abundance of personality and you can tell that the lead really made sure his appearance assisted in adding depth to the life he was portraying. He is shown as thin with a darkness around his eyes. Without even mentioning this, it is apparent he has problems with sleeping and eating due to his guilt.Also, whilst he is determined to live a normal lifestyle without the torment and temptation that his demons encourage daily, the attraction is always there to him, which leads to the most disturbing idea that the film presents. The idea that his urges aren't suppressible, that it is a part of him, much like a sexuality. That concept is chilling yet it explains Walters frustration and depression.It was a very audacious move by the film-makers to produce a film showing this perspective, however, its downfalls lie in the pacing and my disbelief that a convicted child molester would be re-homed across from a playground and the ease in which he has a relationship with an adult considering his problems. Surely the intimacy should have felt more forced to portray his attempt to move on from his past? Nonetheless, performances from all are of a high calibre. From the distant Walter, to the watchful Detective Sergeant Lucas (Mos Def) everyone gives a convincing display in each persona.Due to it's content and pacing, it isn't a film I'd recommend yet I applaud how bold the industry were for going ahead with a movie of this ilk. My opinions are completely unchanged on paedophilia, it still sickens me to my core although this film does show a very compelling perspective on how their minds potentially work.