 A film that treats a child molester sympathetically may have a tough time drawing moviegoers to the theater. But some of the reviews for The Woodsman just may. A.O. Scott in the New York Times observes that director Nicole Kassell attempts neither to excuse nor exploit the character, played by Kevin Bacon, but instead "regards him with wary, ambivalent curiosity, placing him at the center of a modest, frayed drama that feels both understated and generous." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News wonders just how many Academy members are likely to view the movie between now and the January 17 deadline for them to turn in their nominations. (John Anderson in Newsday comments: "It's about whether the voters, and the public, can get past the subject matter.") But Mathews says, "The acting is really good stuff. Bacon deserves a nomination." And he also gives high praise to Mos Def, who plays a "morally indignant cop." Lou Lumenick in the New York Post calls the movie "one of the year's best ... hugely impressive." On the other hand, Claudia Puig in USA Today finds The Woodsman to be "a distasteful story [with] a muddled message and a sense of missed opportunity." |
