The Woodsman

I saw the movie at The Toronto Festival. It is a solemn treatment of a very serious subject. While it is largely told from the viewpoint of ex-con Bacon, the reaction of other characters to his situation (ex-con trying to reintegrate with society after 12 years in prison) and history (convicted pedophile) seem realistic. The director does not take sides on what is obviously a very sensitive issue (child molestation) but does not shy away from showing a truly creepy scene toward the end of the film where "Walter" faces his demons. Bacon's character is totally humanized, but obviously not free of his predatory nature. Kyra Sedgwick and Bacon are quite good in their demanding roles. Benjamin Bratt's brother-in-law character seems somewhat unrealistic and his presence in the film somewhat superfluous. Worth seeing if you prefer to see films on serious subject matters handled in a mature matter. Neither a downer, nor a 'feel good' movie (of course)