The Woodsman

The Woodsman concerns a middle aged man, Walter, getting released from prison after 12 years for molesting young girls and his attempt at reintegrating himself back into society without his past catching up with him both within himself and also to others who would not share his space willingly let alone at all. He finds a job a a woodcutting factory and, of all places, a flat opposite an elementarty school where this tests his ability to "act normal", something he desperately wants and this is essentially what the film is about.


As Walter keeps to himself, his only companion seems to be his brother-in-law, who keeps him informed about his sister and his daughter that he has never seen and whom his sister does not want him to be around for obvious reasons. Another regular is Sargent Lucas who regularly visits Walter to check up on him and beneath a quiet exterior has nothing but contempt for paedophiles. Finally there is Walters co-worker Vicky that becomes the love interest in the film and tries to steer him in the right direction.

The Woodsman deals with it's subject matter in a candid and observational manner but the situations that the characters find themselves in are greatly exageratted and this stops the film being in any way believable. Nevertheless it is an interesting film worth watching but in the right frame of mind.

I would give this 3 red balls out of 5