After 12 years in prison, Walter (Kevin Bacon) moves into a small apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard, and mostly keeps to himself. He finds unexpected solace from Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick), a tough-talking woman who promises not to judge him for his history.
But Walter cannot escape his past. A convicted sex offender, Walter is shunned by his sister, lives in fear of being discovered at work, and is hounded by a suspicious police detective (Mos Def). After befriending a young girl in a neighbourhood park, Walter must also grapple with the terrible prospect of his own re-awakened demons.
Special Agent Matti
The woodsman would be interesting if only because it shows life from the point of view of a convicted sex offender (rather than that of the police who catch them and the lawyers who prosecute them). It's also interesting because it has Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick falling in love despite their "better" (ie "public") interests. We aren't often shown the woman who loves the wrong man as anything but a victim - Kyra's woman makes her own choices. Cool.
The downside is that the only way for Walter to become accepted is to dob in a serial sex offender (in this case, one who is worse than he ever was) and to give advice to a girl who is being sexually abused by her father. While this does make him a contributing member of society it does nothing to help him overcome his quirk. (Sexuality is a quirk of nature, although it can be influenced - for good or evil - by nurture.)
If you like seeing films that make you squirm, The woodsman is a cracker.
Enjoy.
MA 15+ (Adult themes)
87 minutes (1:27 hours)
Film: 5 May 2005
DVD rental: 15 September 2005