The Woodsman (2004)

Modern society is being engineered to embrace behaviors and lifestyles that were in the shadows in the same esteem as man-woman-children families that are the heart of any healthy society.God help the viewers of romanticized filth if they dare to speak truth, the will be condemned by the PC police who celebrate abortion and condemn traditional families as being insensitive.The best movies to watch are The 9th Gate and Eyes Wide Shut if you want to learn about how the elites program humans for their gradual enslavement....you can't enslave humans....you have to turn them into beasts first...same as war must dehumanize enemies you are supposed to hate and kill.

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.

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.

American director Nicole Kassell's directorial debut was shot on location in Philadelphia, USA, was written by the director and Steven Fechter and is an adaptation of a play by Steven Fechter. It tells the story about Walter, a convicted child molester who is released from prison after serving thirteen years. In Philadelphia, Walter gets a new apartment near a playground, a new job at a nearby factory and has to see a psychiatrist on a regular basis. Walter's quiet return to society works out fine and at work he comes in contact with a woman named Vicki who he takes a liking to. Walter and Vicki's relationship evolves and takes a romantic turn, but Vicki does not know anything about Walter's history. This subtly and acutely directed psychological drama is a thorough an in-depth study of character about a man in severe conflict with his own consciousness who tries to come to terms with what he has done, possibly find his place in society and reestablish his relationship with his sister. With an austere atmosphere, realistic milieu depictions, straightforward an mindful dialog and a progressive narrative, this quietly paced and character-driven feature film debut conveys an authentic and illuminating portrayal of paedophilia which emphasizes the way other people react towards a paedophile and how that person sees himself and reacts towards his surroundings and the way he is perceived.American actor Kevin Bacon who played a similar role in Barry Levinson's "Sleepers" (1996) has rendered great acting performances in films such as "Murder in the First" (1995), "Digging to China" (1998) and "Mystic River" (2003), but his remarkable acting performance in this multifaceted and against type role where he embodies the character trades of a child molester, is beyond comparison. The chemistry between him and Kyra Sedgwick, who delivers a fine acting performance, is evident in the intimate scenes they share in this overall well-acted, afflicting and challenging independent film.