Child molester, out of jail on supervised parole, slowly integrates himself back into society with a job at the lumber mill, but old haunts still tug at his soul. Director Nicole Kassell also co-adapted the script with Steven Fechter, based upon Fechter's play, giving movie star Kevin Bacon an intense, meaty dramatic role in which to display his talents. The actor does not disappoint, nor does real-life spouse Kyra Sedgwick as a streetwise co-worker who takes a liking to him warts and all. The story is deliberately unsettling, though Kassell handles the scenario nimbly, aided by tight editing. The director also utilizes her solid cast in the best possible way, by allowing their abilities to carry precarious scenes which might otherwise be heavy-handed or hard to watch. Only in the final act does the movie slip into a preachy or unconvincing pattern. Bacon, who served as executive producer, does brave and admirable work, perhaps his best to date. **1/2 from ****
Review of The Woodsman
