Granted, Mysterious Skin looks at the issue of pedophilia and child abuse from the perspective of the victims, while this film looks at the struggle of the offender, however...
This film really lacked the depth that MS goes into in exploring the devastating ramifications of child abuse, and generally in the realness of its characterizations. It felt very Hollywood in imposing a redemption plot - kind of rendering the taboo topic kind of generic and usual.
While the film does not in any way apologize for the past deeds of its protagonist, In applying a kind of 'hero's journey' structure, it - by implication - turns the protagonist into a quasi-hero. This is particularly evident in the climactic scene where Walter beats up the other offender, Candy. I just didn't believe this would be something Walter's character would do, and it felt like a contrived attempt to redeem Walter's character and make him more palatable to mainstream audiences.
I enjoyed the performances in this film and it was really nice and unexpected watching Kevin Bacon embarking on this kind of challenging role.
However, for me it's a 7 at best.
This film really lacked the depth that MS goes into in exploring the devastating ramifications of child abuse, and generally in the realness of its characterizations. It felt very Hollywood in imposing a redemption plot - kind of rendering the taboo topic kind of generic and usual.
While the film does not in any way apologize for the past deeds of its protagonist, In applying a kind of 'hero's journey' structure, it - by implication - turns the protagonist into a quasi-hero. This is particularly evident in the climactic scene where Walter beats up the other offender, Candy. I just didn't believe this would be something Walter's character would do, and it felt like a contrived attempt to redeem Walter's character and make him more palatable to mainstream audiences.
I enjoyed the performances in this film and it was really nice and unexpected watching Kevin Bacon embarking on this kind of challenging role.
However, for me it's a 7 at best.