Thursday, June 24, 2010

Review: 'The Woodsman' starring Kevin Bacon (2004)

In another school assigned film, I was this time, fortunate in seeing 'The Woodsman'.The only thing needed to be known about the film is that there is sexual content in the context of child molestation. These topics are gruesome and cause for disturbing thoughts and mixed emotions. Unlike most child molestation films this one goes further, not further necessarily in a more disturbing than usual direction, but a far more interesting and delivering one.

Kevin Bacon is the beneficiary of the abusive role in the film, as he takes a bat and knocks the role out of the park. I have been a fan of Kevin Bacon for a long while, but I just haven't been blown away by him like I have so many others. This film elevated him in my book, to a level I have not seen him on yet. His co-stars in the film include his real life wife and Mos Def, both providing excellent acting for what they were asked to do.

I don't want to give away an ounce of the punch this film gives, but I will say, this film grabs you from the first scene, and holds your attention well after the credits roll. The camera work, sound, acting, and all the other elements were done all together on the same level, making this film a consistent method of story telling and imagery.

Of course this film reaches limits and starts off with limited potentials, whether you examine the director, actors, etc., but for the quality given to us in the project, all 100% of the skills they possessed were used. The end messages of the film were acceptable, but with the story flowing the way it did, it would have been difficult to impossible to make the punch any better.

Gross, disgusting, great, thrilling, exciting, nasty, disturbing, wild, original ride.
*Warning! Heavy with nude sex scenes and sexual content regarding child molestation. NOT in anyway suitable for children and possibly adults. Think about the warning before deciding whether you watch it or not.*

"The Woodsman"
7.5 / 10