The Woodsman

Kevin Bacon stars in this dark, shocking, and uncomfortable movie. Kevin Bacon is really creepy in this role and also really good. I was so glad they picked a well-known actor to play this because I needed to keep reminding myself to calm down because it was "just that guy from Footloose." He seriously does a full transformation. One very notable scene is where he is remembering his past. He isn't speaking and they just have a very long take in close-up on his face. It's pretty intense because you can see everything that he is thinking about.

The way the movie is edited, acted and scripted doesn't make this pedophile likable at all. We see his temper, his lust for little girls, and his social/sexual strangeness. However, the fact that it is shot and told from his perspective make the viewer sympathize with him. We want him to change, no matter how impossible it seems. You almost feel bad when the cop checks in on him everyday and berates him. It's odd to find yourself cheering on the pedophile just because he decided not to molest a little girl this time.

Also, I love any story that can tie in a fairy tale, and this one does it beautifully. It's really like a "Little Red Riding Hood" for a modern generation.

So it has good acting, and gives the viewer a new perspective. Rent it sometime.

A to the S grade: A
Teacher Comments: This would be a good movie to study for acting.