Cavedweller
First screened in January 2005
Director: Lisa Cholodenko. Cast: Kyra Sedgwick, Regan Arnold, Aidan Quinn, Vanessa Zima, April Mullen, Jill Scott, Jackie Burroughs, Sherilyn Fenn, Myron Natwick, Dan Lett, Kevin Bacon. Screenplay: Anne Meredith (based on the novel by Dorothy Allison).

 Twitter Capsule: Direct-to-cable seems harsh, but captures neither Cholodenko's usual confidence nor the toughness of Allison's prose.

VOR: ①  Even worse, there's no compelling reason to make a point of catching it. Supporting Cholodenko is one thing; seeing her work flirt with banality is disheartening.


The Woodsman
First screened in January 2005 / Most recently screened in June 2014
Director: Nicole Kassell. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Benjamin Bratt, Mos Def, David Alan Grier, Eve, Hannah Pilkes, Michael Shannon, Kevin Rice, Carlos Leon. Screenplay: Nicole Kassell and Stephen Fechter (based on the play by Stephen Fechter).

 Twitter Capsule: Actors' sincerity never in doubt; clearly took guts to make this. But rigged scripting, directorial excess interfere.

VOR: ②  More going on here: topical risk, window into nascent Lee Daniels aesthetic. Still, hits some beats familiar from many film-student projects and change-of-pace acting vehicles.


Cavedweller Photo © 2004 Showtime Networks/Cavedweller Productions, Ltd.
The Woodsman Photo © 2004 Lee Daniels Entertainment/Dash Films/Newmarket Films

Not yet reviewed in full. Grades: Cavedweller: C–; Woodsman: C–

Awards for The Woodsman:
National Board of Review: Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking
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