The Walker Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
An escort (Harrelson) who caters to Washington D.C.'s society ladies becomes involved in a murder case.
| Woody Harrelson | Carter Page III |
| Kristin Scott Thomas | Lynn Lockner |
| Lauren Bacall | Natalie Van Miter |
| Ned Beatty | Jack Delorean |
| Moritz Bleibtreu | Emek Yoglu |
| Mary Beth Hurt | Chrissie Morgan |
| Lily Tomlin | Abigail Delorean |
| Willem Dafoe | Senator Larry Lockner |
| William Hope | Mungo Tenant |
| Geff Francis | Detective Dixon |
| Steven Hartley | Robbie Kononsberg |
| Garrick Hagon | John Krebs |
| Michael J. Reynolds | Ethan Withal |
| Allen Lidkey | Andrew Salesperson |
| Stewart Alexander | Edgar |
| Paul Schrader |
7.00 out of 10 (595 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Odd Film
posted on 14 Jun 2009I cannot think of a Woody Harrelson performance that I have enjoyed more, which is odd, to say the least, since he plays the gay legacy of an old money southern political family. He has this slow mildly effete southern drawl and he is in almost every second of the film. What makes the film so odd is that all the other actors seem to play off his cadence and all the lines are delivered in a very slow offhanded manner.I enjoy most all of Schraders film and this one has a host of layers in the script with issues of loyalty to ones friends on the micro side and loyalty to the country on the macro side. It attacks the right, in particular the current administration, which is just fine by me, but may be off putting to others. They are likely to have a problem with the whole gay thing as well, so this is probably not the correct film for right wing homophobes to rent. Even I got uncomfortable when Harrleson has a rather long kiss with his boyfriend. I mean hey, that's Woody Harrelson, it just didn't seem right.Back to my problem with the film which is pacing and lack of emotion. You have a powerful political cast of characters with closets full of skeletons, so maybe Schrader was directing the characters to hold back on the emotions. One time I walked away from the film to get a glass of water, and as I listened to the lines being delivered it all sounded so emotionless. If you rent this, try closing your eyes for about a minute during almost any part of the film, and see if you don't agree. Nonetheless, I would recommend this intelligent thriller.
What the bloody hell????
posted on 01 May 2009This movie must be in line for the most boring movie in years. Not even woody Harrison can save this movie from sinking to the bottom.The murder in this movie are supposed to be the point of interest in this movie but is not, nothing is of any interest. The cast are not to bad but the script are just plain awful , I just sat in utter amazement during this movie, thinking how on earth can anyone find this movie entertaining The producers of this movie were very clever. They made a boring movie but hid it well with the names of good actors and actresses on their cast. People will go to the blockbuster and probably see this movie and think, Woody Harrison ,Kristin Scott Thomas and Willem Dafoe this must be good and rent this movie.(boy are they in for a horrible time)If you like getting ripped off go and rent this movie, some people actually did enjoyed this movie but I like to watch a movie with meaning
Horrible Film... Woody Harrelson is a amazing though
posted on 09 Apr 2009The film is bad. There is no other way to say it. The story is weak and outdated, especially for this country. I don't think most people know what a "walker" is or will really care. I felt as if I was watching a movie from the 70's. The subject was just not believable for the year 2007, even being set in DC. I think this rang true for everyone else who watched it too as the applause were low and quick at the end. Most didn't stay for the Q&A either.I don't think Schrader really thought the film out ahead of time. Many of the scenes seemed to be cut short as if they were never finished or he just didn't know how to finish them. He jumped from one scene to the next and you had to try and figure out or guess what was going on. I really didn't get Woody's (Carter) private life or boyfriend either. What were all the "artistic" male bondage and torture pictures (from Iraq prisons) about? What was he thinking? I think it was his very poor attempt at trying to create this dark private subculture life for Woody's character (Car). It didn't work. It didn't even seem to make sense really.The only good thing about this film was Woody Harrelson. He played his character (Car) flawlessly. You really did get a great sense of what a "walker" may have been like (say twenty years ago). He was great and most likely will never get recognized for it. As for Lauren, Lily and Kristin... Boring.Don't see it! It is painful! Unless you are a true Harrelson fan.
The Whitehouse Thriller ?
posted on 26 Mar 2009This film is a cunning web of intrigue and subtle hints as to the next twist. It has a believable plot and a very believable cast.Woody "the third" must get an Oscar for this. He truly dominates every scene and never lets a deep south accent waiver at all. I think Woody comes from the gore background and enjoys getting in character and making his audience want. This is his pure character acting masterpiece.The flick is a pleasure to watch although "suffers" from clever dialogue and a slightly slow start. The title needs explained :- it doesn't spoil the film but makes it clearer. "The Walker" is a man who escorts important women from the administration.All in all, a gripping watch, if you survive the first 15 minutes you'll watch the end again!
Huh?
posted on 11 Jan 2009This film is one giant pant load. Paul Schrader is utterly lost in his own bad screenplay. And his directing is about as comatose as it can be without his actually having been sleepwalking during the process. The worst though is Woody Harrelson, whom I ordinarily like when he's properly cast. He plays "the walker", a homosexual man in D.C. who plays social companion to the bored wives of the Washington elite. He couldn't have been more one dimensional if he had been cut out of a magazine and bounced around in front of the camera on a popsicle stick. His "southern accent" is that "off the rack" version that decrescendos from the beginning to the end of every line he delivers, as though the heat and humidity of the South is still draining him of every ounce of energy he has. It is monotonous. But, his is not the worst accent in the movie. His "boyfriend", played by Moritz Bleibtreau, attempts to affect some kind of a Mid East accent that is so clumsy he can barely deliver the bad lines written for him. He is incapable of rolling his r's in spite of the fact that in real life he is German, and speaks several languages - one of them being Italian! That's kind of a good reason to cast someone else don't ya think? From the story, to the screenplay, to the directing, to the camera work, to the performances by the leads, this movie is bad from beginning to end. The only tolerable moments in this film came from three supporting actresses: Lily Tomlin, Lauren Bacall, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Only these three managed to make it through this movie with their dignity in tact. In fact, all three are excellent, in spite of being trapped in a really bad film. Ufortunately, no one could ever be good enough to redeem this endless series of flaws. If you like these three actresses, watch them in something else. This movie is not worth your time.
Murky Character Study Disguised as a Capital Beltway Conspiracy with a Miscast Harrelson
posted on 24 Nov 2008Even though he borrows liberally from his own "American Gigolo", writer/director Paul Schrader ("Auto Focus") tackles an intriguing premise in this character-driven 2007 murder mystery but just can't seem to deliver on it. The concept revolves around the movie's title, which refers to a man who escorts older women of a certain standing to gala events and social activities that hold absolutely no interest to their husbands. What makes this particularly interesting is the Washington, D.C. setting where the atmosphere is thick with powerful politicos whose unscrupulous dealings lead to unwanted consequences. At the center of the story is much sought-after walker Carter Page III, an effete social dandy who happens to be the son of a former governor of Virginia. Carter is gay but seems to be out only to his canasta circle, as he holds down a one-day-a-week job as a real estate broker.The prominent society women who enjoy his company are aging doyenne Natalie Van Miter; Lynn Locklear, a senator's adulterous wife; and Abigail Delorean, the materialistic wife of Washington's most powerful fixer. Things suddenly get complicated when Lynn's lover is murdered, and the chivalrous Carter volunteers to tell the police that he discovered the body when it was really Lynn who did. What happens afterward is quite a muddle with Carter turning into a social pariah as he investigates the case himself. One can surmise from random comments that there is a blackmail plot involving both Lynn's and Abigail's husbands as well as the Vice President. What does become clear is that clarifying the conspiracy plot is not Schrader's main concern here. The filmmaker appears more interested in examining how Carter deals with being an outcast in a community where who you know is all that matters. However, that would require having a rooting interest in Carter. This is where the film falters, as Schrader makes Carter a relatively opaque figure caught in the unsavory machinations of the Washington power machine.Equally murky is the relationship between Carter and his lover Emek Yoglu, who photographs Abu Ghraib-like S&M images with the hope of using Carter's connections to have a gallery showing. Give Woody Harrelson credit for an audacious turn as Carter, but he unfortunately doesn't bring a convincing pulse to his eccentric character. Instead, he gives us a series of affectations in a jaundiced tribute to Truman Capote. Kristin Scott Thomas effectively uses her innately chilly persona to Lynn, but I wish Schrader used Lily Tomlin and the 83-year-old Lauren Bacall more effectively to flesh out Abigail and Natalie beyond winking one-liners. Willem Dafoe and Ned Beatty have glorified cameos as Lynn's and Abigail's husbands, and it's a cheeky move to have Tomlin and Beatty play husband and wife three decades after playing marrieds in Robert Altman's "Nashville". Moritz Bleibtreu ("Run Lola Run") does what he can with the underdeveloped role of Emek. The 2008 DVD is sparse on extras - just the original trailer, a few previews and a brief making-of short that has producer Deepak Nayar proclaiming Harrelson worthy of an Oscar.
A Tour de Force for a Fine Cast of Seasoned Actors
posted on 20 Nov 2008THE WALKER (defined as a man who escorts rich ladies around town in their leisure) is both a pungent political comment and a fine mystery from Paul Schrader who both wrote and directed this smart film and had the good fortune to surround his tale with a fine cast of actors. It may not be a film for everyone, but it will satisfy viewers who tire of superficial fluff films, allowing time to ponder the way we live and converse today. Carter Page III (Woody Harelson in one of his finest performances) is an openly gay, well- heeled, dapper man about town who devotes his life to pleasing the wealthy wives of men in high government levels in Washington, DC. Together with Abby (Lily Tomlin), Natalie (Lauren Bacall), Chrissy (Mary Beth Hurt), and Lynn (Kristin Scott Thomas) the group gossips, plays canasta in an expensive hotel parlor, and confides secrets that are surefire rumor fodder. Lynn is escorted by Carter to her lover's home for a tryst only to find the lover murdered. Carter attempts to protect Lynn from scandal only to become implicated himself. Carter discovers secrets about his own insecurities, and while he is solidly supported by his lover Emek (the excellent Moritz Bleibtreu), an artist of strange works that prove subtle background connotations of the mystery that is unwinding, he must face the realities of his decision when confronting husbands, lawyers, police, and intelligence agents (portrayed by such fine actors as Ned Beatty, Willem Defoe, William Hope and Geff Francis). The story is, in many ways, an examination of the corruption in Washington, DC - a fact that may explain why it did not enjoy a long theater run. For viewers who appreciate fine dialogue and a smart story with well-delineated characters portrayed by superb actors, this is a film that should not be neglected. Grady Harp
Winner - Worst film of the century award
posted on 09 Oct 2008Woody Harrelson's acting is fantastic. However, it all stops there. No believable plot, no believable characters, a poorly crafted murder, a story line that is difficult to follow, scenes that have no ending but rather just fade to black to jump to the next. If you can stay awake to the end you deserve a free ticket to another movie. I strongly suggest you skip this movie.We were privy to a private screening of the movie as part of the Sedona International Film Festival. During the Q&A session after the movie the director said that he could not find funding for this movie in the US. I can see why, there is no way this movie is going to make a dime in ticket sales. I pity the poor UK investors who are going to lose all the money they fronted for this movie.
more drama than thriller, cool and collected, fantastic Harrelson performance
posted on 29 Sep 2008The Walker is about a profession many of us aren't aware of: socialites like Mr. Carter Page III, who escort ladies who happened to be the wives of senators and congressman around Washington DC and play cards and socialize (hence the 'social' part of the title). But it's also about a murder mystery, where a man is killed who is connected with Lynn Lockner, married to senator Larry Lockner. Who killed him, for what motive, and what are the connections and the fall-out of the scandal, are all a part of the narrative for Paul Schrader, the mind-games of Washington, the slick veneer and quietly accepted facts of corruption and greed and, usually, scandal. But it's also about this man, the Walker, how he is viewed by the women he is polite to (indeed his politeness is pointed out as a weakness, as "Don't be so polite" in this DC society), and his own self flagged by the legacy of his father, a hero in the eyes of many in DC. Oh, and he's gay, though this is only the ice on the cake.For Paul Schrader, it's a mature work that shows him skillfully working out this side of DC that is fresh in perspective. He is able to write the dramatic scenes much better, however, than those of that of a thriller. One senses Schrader's investment in his own material hit high points when he just has two people in a room talking about the heart of a matter, like an argument between Carter and Emek that is really all about Carter's father but exactly about Carter the whole time, or a scene between Carter and Lauren Bacall's elder lady when he finds out a vital piece of information (the "black sheep" dialog). Scenes like those are very good, while a chase scene down an alley feels weaker, filmed with tired and repetitive dutch angles and close-ups.So, if it isn't quite one of Schrader's best films, albeit not his worst, it is definitely an achievement for Harrelson. He disappears into the character of Carter Page III (note the III) as an effeminate but strong-willed Southern man who hides his baldness with a hair piece and keeps his politeness and calm demeanor as something that is partly natural and partly a cover for what is really deep down someone who has disappointed others around him. It's so fascinating to see this actor who, indeed, once was a co-star in White Men Can't Jump, tackle such a complex character and succeed in every scene with depth and sensitivity and subtlety. He is nothing less than totally absorbing, especially up against old pros like Bacall and Ned Beatty.
Meditation upon the true meaning of loyalty
posted on 15 Sep 2008This is a fascinating film which seems to be something other than what it is. It is absolutely not a thriller, although many people might be confused and believe it was meant to be one. In the film, a great deal of corruption, murder, and intrigue is portrayed at the top of the political hierarchy in Washington, D.C. But that is merely the setting and milieu for a wholly different story. The film is really about the true meaning of loyalty, and hence it is a disguised morality tale. The lead character, played by Woody Harrelson, is an elegant homosexual who escorts wives of leading politicians to social events, what is called 'a walker'. In the course of doing this, he accidentally becomes involved in a serious scandal involving murder and ruthless intrigue, which has no connection with him at all. The character whom Harrelson portrays is called Carter Page III, whose grandfather and father of the same name had been famous Washington politicians from the South. His father had been a 'hero of the Watergate hearings', and is clearly modelled on the late Senator Sam Ervin, Junior, of North Carolina. Page 'the Walker' thus has access to all the top social circles of Washington, but is looked upon with a certain amount of scorn because he is viewed as such a decline from the fame of his forebears. It is only as the film evolves that Page reluctantly reveals that in fact his father and grandfather had both been crooks, and were not heroes at all, and that he feels bad about his heritage, the endless praise for which he has to sit and listen to silently, while keeping his own views to himself. He is very camp and people don't really take him seriously as a person, considering him a hopeless lightweight. He even says of himself: 'I am superficial'. But this film is a study of what lies beneath the illusory surface of a supposedly superficial man. It is only in the last two minutes of the film that the full truth is revealed, and the film has its sad and pensive ending, where the meaning of the film really becomes clear. Harrelson depicts an unforgettable character, 'a man in full'. His Southern accent is as thick as heavy cream. He has to a certain extent modelled himself on Marlon Brando in 'Streetcar' and 'The Fugitive Kind', not always successfully, but it is a great effort and largely works, with the elegance, cufflinks, and finicky mannerisms of a dandy added very successfully on top. Paul Schrader's script is wonderfully subtle and well-crafted, but he is a much better writer than he is a director, and his shots are badly framed, which indicates that his cinematographer did not make up for his deficiencies at all. The sound is also inadequate, but then that is a common problem these days with Hollywood films, where all the good sound men seem to be dead. One problem with the direction is that Schrader was too close to the material. He could not stand back from it and see where a bit more clarity was needed for the sake of a possibly baffled viewer and instead he worked to increase rather than to diminish the sometimes excessive subtlety of this tale. In other words, it could and should have been a better film than it is. Harrelson needed a bit of toning down in some scenes. After all, he was way out on a limb in his performance, and although he didn't fall off a branch, he trembled amongst the leaves sometimes and could have done with some more help. Kristin Scott-Thomas's performance is impeccable, but when has one of her performances not been? Has anyone ever seen her do anything less than perfect on screen? I haven't. She isn't afraid to let herself look really terrible, haggard and wobbly in a harsh light if it helps the story. This film is about Harrelson showing the ultimate loyalty, the last man you would think capable of it, as an act of personal redemption. The end of the film is so perfectly performed and directed that one forgives the film any previous imperfections it may have had. It was worth waiting for. But what a sad and devastating realisation comes then, so impeccably presented. I cannot reveal what it is, but it is the whole point. The way Carter Page III comes out of it all as a hero reminds me of the husband in 'Brick Lane': sometimes the most unlikely people outshine everyone else in the most unexpected way when you see the true depths of their character. Schrader's perceptions in this story are immensely sensitive. This was an extraordinarily ambitious undertaking, and although the result is not perfect, so that the film is not a classic, Schrader and his actors all came close and can be justly proud of what they achieved. After all, it is not easy to make films about what is not spoken and what is not seen. Most people don't bother. So please keep it up, y'all.
Review: The Walker
posted on 13 Sep 2008No one have ever doubt in Paul Schrader's capability whose familiar subject is to give a lecture on human nature and how it affected by urban society . Many of his screenplays considered to be the best of 70's and 80's ("Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull", to name a few). However, "The Walker" is a different story. It's kind of movie that can test your tolerance. To all mundane situations and endless dialog that you need to go through, the payback wasn't much as good as you would've expected.This is Paul Schrader's perfect companion piece to "American Gigolo". Imagine Richard Gere's Julian Kaye got 30 years older, came out of the closet and moved to Washington DC. Carter Page III (Woody Harrelson) is an escort whose job is to companion some aging, high society ladies around town. His best clients are Lynn Locklear (Kristin Scott Thomas), Natalie Van Miter (Lauren Bacall), and Abigail Delorean (Lily Tomlin). But soon after Carter becomes a suspect as murderer to Lynn's secret lover, he realized that how superficial friendship he has is. There might be only him and his boyfriend, Emek (Moritz Bleibtreu), whom he can really rely on.Made no mistake about it, "The Walker" is a well-crafted film. The production design is neat. Dialogues are sharp and sometime they're mesmerizing. All actors did absolutely good job especially Woody Harrelson who is brilliants as protagonist role. His presence and mannerism really embodied the character he played. And from three women in this film, a Hollywood legend, Lauren Bacall is a standout. Her character is brutally honest and funny to watch.I can see why people are complaining about the film. They said it's pointless and pretty boring. "The Walker" runs only 108 minutes but it seemed much longer. Well, I do agree. But I have one thing to point out for the audience. I think it was the director's intention to shoot the film. It's an old-school kind of political-drama film used to be in 70's (ie. "Conversation", "Network", "The Parallax View", etc.). What we have here is not a big picture of the whole story but only handful (or one) of character's study.But, as I said before, the payback wasn't satisfied me. Carter Page III's story is barely intriguing. We knew that he has an issue that he must deal with. But the movie didn't use that opportunity to make us root for him. In the end, it's rather disappointing to see his problems suddenly vanished. I think "The Walker" has strong characterization and witty dialog. So shame that it's destroyed by mediocre plot and sloppy last act.
nice vignette TV style
posted on 30 Aug 2008Plot is not worth discussion even if it hints at corruption, murder, power and the rest of thriller related topics. Characters are interesting though sometimes. Not realistic but interesting nevertheless.Development is slow like tea drinking ceremony. Visuals not stunning, but good enough to ease the eye strain. Good movie to watch after dinner before going to bed - nothing shocking too much, nothing overexciting. Movie sitcom style.I liked Woody - excellent performance. Had to fight the plot inadequacy and did the job pretty good. The rest are bearable though very predictable. The whole is watchable and better than most TV shows.
Lovely
posted on 10 Aug 2008I saw Paul Schrader receive the Lifetime achievement award on Stockholm film festival a few days ago and all I can say is that he deserved it. This movie is about superficiality. It's a superficial movie, and I can understand how some might find it dull but then again isn't everything boring on the surface? This movie is made with warmth and depth and even though you sometimes wanna gloat the high society you feel sympathy for the character of Woody Harrelson. When creating Carter Page, Paul Schrader said he was thinking of Richard Gere's character in American Gigolo and what he might be like in his middle age. He would be funny, would have come out of the closet and superficial. Paul Schrader never thought of Woody for this role, but I'm glad he did no one could play him like Woody.
This film is a pleasant surprise
posted on 07 Jul 2008Yes,this is a delight. Paul Schrader directs an all name cast is one of the fastest moving films I have seen recently. Its 108 minutes breezes by. This is the way to do films of little consequence.This is not a great movie by any means, I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed watching this.Woody Harrelson plays a paid escort & gets involved with a murder most foul.In watching him perform, I could not help think of another great actor,CLIFTON WEBB.In fact if Hollywood ever decides to make the Clifton Webb Story, Woody would be perfect in the role,Kristen Scott-Thomas has the major female role & is her usual fine self.Also in the cast is the magnificent LAUREN BACALL (83 or more years young),She was wonderful in her small role, so was Ned Beatty, Lily Tomlin, Wilhem Dafoe & a few other fine actors,.Rent this for pure enjoyment,.My rating may be a wee bit high, BUT I cannot honestly give it any lower. Outside of seeing a bloody corpse & 2 fights,I see no reason for the R rating.PG 13 would be proper.Ratings: ***1/2 (out of 4) 90 points (out of 100) IMDb 9 (out of 10)
A Good Old Fashion Adult Movie!!! One of the best!
posted on 01 Jun 2008I never understand why people who hate a movie, take the time to write paragraphs about it. Why not just let it go and try to find some film which they like and say something good about it? I'm an avid moviegoer and collector as I have some 30,000 titles in my library and I see hundreds of new films every year. "The Walker" didn't play in a theatre near me, so I had to wait for the DVD to be released. I enjoyed it so much, I had to sit through it a second time, immediately. It's so rare to find a movie written by an adult, for adults, with an all adult cast. It's been years since I've been so entertained as I was with the dialogue and the cast all in one movie. So often in IMDb, teens will review a movie which they would never understand even it they HAD been educated and write sordid remarks of how boring a movie is...or 'the worst movie I've ever seen...'. Too bad that the editors at IMDb can't cull out these remarks when all the teens are doing is destroying a work of art. I would bet none have ever been to a symphony concert, an opera, a ballet, a live drama, but they're quick on the draw when it comes to criticizing something without car chases or cheap gag lines.IF you are a person who likes GOOD movies, do yourself a favor and see "The Walker". It's Woody's best performance...and MAN! What a treat to see Lauren Bacall still strut her stuff. She may be an octogenarian, but she can STILL act. Lily Tomlin was equally as wonderful. I won't single out all the actors, just those three performances are enough to rent or buy the DVD.
What Lies Hidden Beneath The Superficial?
posted on 24 May 2008An elegant murder mystery that fulfills on multiple levels. Harrelson is simply outstanding.Car, unlike his forebears and most who surround him, is an honorable man. He is also gay. The movie asks again and again: why does Car protect Lynn? !!!Spoilers follow!!! I propose an explanation beyond honor: unrequited love, pure and simple. Lynn is unable to accept Car's love.In an early conversation Lynn reminisces how "a young Carter Page once attempted to ask me out." Car replies "the 70's were a confusing decade: a lot of things were blurred." To Lynn their relationship is a friendship, but Car loves Lynn in the full sense of the word.Later in a scene in Car's car, he places his hand over Lynn's to comfort her, but her grief for Robbie interferes and she withdraws. The final scene wherein Car returns the photo to Lynn and she asks "Why did you stand by me?" reveals how unaware or unaccepting Lynn is of Car's love. Car gives his own explanation and we could settle for that alone. But then the camera shifts to Car's perspective as Lynn gracefully, beautifully, and in slow motion, walks out of the room and out of Car's life.
My Review
posted on 22 May 2008Flamboyant 'walker' (man who hangs out with older married women while their husbands are at work) Carter Page (Woody Harrelson) knows all the dirt about the seedy underbelly of D.C., and often shares his gossip with canasta players Lynn (Kristin Scott Thomas), Natalie (Lauren Bacall) and Abby (Lily Tomlin).Everything is going well for him until Robbie (Steven Hartley) - a man 'closely associated' to Carter's friend Lynn - is murdered. To protect her, Carter claims that he discovered the body, and is immediately the police's number one suspect.Soon all his high society friends abandon him, and he becomes more and more suspicious by the police. He has to clear his name before he's arrested for a crime he didn't commit.While I enjoyed the premise of the film and the acting (especially by Harrelson, Thomas, Bacall and Tomlin), "The Walker" had a lot of down-time where I was struggling to not go do something else or take a nap. The dialog is witty and intelligent, but there's just those long pauses in the movie that you wonder...what the heck is going on? All in all, I would suggest you see the film once, but it will be enough.
Strong story, excellent performances
posted on 04 May 2008Harrelson is Carter Page III. Unfortunate son of a great man, fortunate son of a dynasty of plantation owners; what does he do? He spends a day a week as a real estate agent and fails to chase up a gallery opening for his lover's photography. What he really does is move with grace through the social circles of the Washington wives. All is well, passing off lines of Tennessee Williams and playing canasta, until by chance he is dragged into a murder investigation. Forced, in his own words, into a choice between "being disloyal and being dishonest" the film follows Carter's progress as events take him into murkier waters where it is no longer enough just to smile at the chaos and hope that it will pass.In Schrader's script the dialogue crackles, for the most part, and the narrative is traced out with skill. The film does not aspire to the pace of a thriller but achieves a constant tension. Harrelson's performance is magnificent and he is ably supported by Bacall, Scott-Thomas and a sphinx like Geff Francis as the detective on the case.'The Walker' is not a genre film and may disappoint those looking for a ripping yarn about a murder, but judged on its own terms it is a success. There are off notes; moments of dialogue strike as contrived and some imagery is unsubtle, but all said it is engrossing and like all really good cinema there can be no doubt that it is about something important.
Boring Boring Boring
posted on 02 May 2008This is the only film I have ever chosen to walk out of. I don't remember ever watching a murder mystery before in which I really couldn't care less who committed the crime. The characters are pompous and vulgar - some might say that is the point, but they are also completely one-dimensional.The plot was dull, particularly in the first half hour before anything of note occurred. Some of the themes (e.g. not living up to his father's legacy) were very hackneyed. The political messages were predictable and smugly delivered.Harrelson's performance is impressive and displays his versatility as an actor, but that can't make up for the fact that his voice and mannerisms are profoundly irritating.
- 1
- 2
Classy, Intelligent & Engrossing
posted on 20 Jul 2009Great script, direction and acting.The pacing is deliberate as character development (and exposition) is so key to the story. On the other hand, the last few scenes of the film seem a bit rushed as the main source of dramatic tension is resolved somewhat abruptly.Overall a strong film, with standout performances from Harrelson, Bacall, Scott-Thomas, and Bleibtreu.On a more personal note ...I screened this at the Toronto International Film Festival as it premiered at Roy Thomson Hall. There was a projection problem midway into the film, caused by a bad splice. An intermission was announced to give the technical team sufficient time to re-splice the film.During this intermission, which ended up stretching to nearly 45 minutes, Mr. Schrader and Ms. Bacall took the stage and entertained the audience with a far-ranging and candid Q & A session. This was a very generous and gracious gesture, and very much appreciated.It was a real treat to see Ms. Bacall in this film and at the premiere. She is a legend many times over, and 60+ years into her storied career, she continues to exude class, strength and glamour. They don't make stars like this anymore, and we are the poorer for it.