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 If
you ask me, Kevin Bacon is not only the most underrated actor
of his generation, but with a resume that includes more than 35
films since his feature debut in 1978’s “National Lampoon’s Animal
House,” he’s also the hardest-working actor in the business. With
strong supporting turns in modern classics like “A Few Good Men,”
“Apollo 13” and last year’s “Mystic River” – not to mention impressive
leads in “The Big Picture,” “Stir of Echoes” and (of course) “Footloose”
– it’s no wonder they named a game after him.
Yet for all
his consistency, versatility and reliability, it’s hard to believe
that the Philadelphia native – who’s 46, but looks much younger
than that – has never been nominated for an Oscar. I suspect that
will change when Academy voters feast their eyes on “The Woodsman,”
which has been gaining critical momentum on the film festival
circuit ever since it debuted at Sundance back in January. And
rightly so, for not only does the mesmerizing, uncompromising
and wholly engrossing drama represent a remarkable feature debut
for director/co-writer Nicole Kassell, but it also features Bacon
in the performance of his career.
Bacon plays
Walter, a convicted sex offender who re-enters the establishment
after serving 12 years in prison. He moves into a small apartment,
gets a job at a lumberyard and finds romance with a tough-talking
co-worker named Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick), but he still has a long
way to go before he can, in his own words, “be normal.” As if
the fear of being discovered by his co-workers wasn’t bad enough,
he also has to contend with an intrusive police detective (Mos
Def) who pops by his apartment from time to time. Every day is
filled with conflict, but nothing can prepare Walter for his biggest
test, when an encounter with a young girl in a neighborhood park
will force him to confront his deepest, darkest demons once and
for all.
With a running
time of just 86 minutes, “The Woodsman” maintains an intense,
engrossing and mesmerizing pace that never lets up. Director/co-writer
Kassell paints a harrowing, tortured and yet entirely sympathetic
portrait of a man whose every waking minute is an unbearable struggle.
To make matters worse, he lives across the street from an elementary
school, as if doing so will put him through the ultimate test
– a test that he comes close to passing in some ways while coming
dangerously close to failing in others.
Without a
doubt, the true weight of the film lies on the very capable shoulders
of Kevin Bacon, who is right on the money with his portrayal of
Walter as an introverted, shattered man who simply cannot help
himself. Despite the controversial nature of his sickness, you
still can’t help but root for him in his daily struggle to shine
a light on his inner darkness, and you can feel the intensity
build when he finds himself in situations that just might plunge
him back into the abyss.
Bacon is
surrounded by impressive supporting players, starting with his
real-life wife Kyra Sedgwick, who plays the sexy tomboy who sees
something in him that no one else sees. After his attention-getting
turn in cable’s “Something the Lord Made,” hip-hop artist Mos
Def continues to build an impressive acting resume as the suspicious
detective who keeps an eye on Bacon. Fellow hip-hop artist-tuned-actress
Eve also gives a standout performance as Bacon’s trouble-making
co-worker, while Benjamin Bratt plays Bacon’s supportive brother-in-law
who tries to mend the broken fences of their family.
“The Woodsman”
has its flaws in the form of some obvious contrivances; Walter
just so happens to catch another sexual predator in the act of
stalking his prey, and Vickie’s initial attraction to him seems
to come out of nowhere. Regardless, the film still triumphs as
an unforgettable story about one man’s never-ending struggle to
overcome his demons, and Bacon’s terrific performance stands as
one of the very finest of the year. It’s time that this underrated
actor got the long-overdue respect that he deserves, and hopefully
Oscar
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