There's no doubt that the premise of taking a sympathetic angle on one of society's vilest type of criminals is going to raise eyebrows, encite tutts and spark some serious debate.

But if you can put your sensibilities aside and venture out to see this film, you will be rewarded not only with a masterpiece of directing but also by one of the best performances of the year.

Kevin Bacon's depiction of Walter, a convicted paedophile who's just been released on parole after 12 years in prision for molesting young girls, is a perfect example of an understated yet enormously powerful performance.

Kevin has defended his decision to take on the role of this 'perverted monster' who somehow manages to arouse feelings of sympathy.

The film doesn't dwell on how Walter became a paedophile or his past deviousness, instead it offers a detailed insight into how this character copes and re-adjusts to a life of freedom and temptation.

According to Walter, the only landlord who'd take his money just happened to own a flat overlooking a children's playground... but the amount of time he spends gazing out of the window makes you question how coincidental it really is.

Whenever we're with Walter in his flat, whatever he's doing, the continuous sound of kids squealing and having fun in the background provides a constantly unnerving notion that the paedophile in him is never far away.

We follow Walter as he takes on a job in a local lumber yard, as he drinks the odd bottle of beer with his brother-in-law - the only person who hasn't deserted him - and as he attends his regular sessions with a therapist.

Rather than seeing a twisted, evil, life-wrecking monster, Walter comes across as a hard-working, loyal guy who's tormented by his struggle to come to terms with what he's done and what he is.

We experience Walter's foray into a sexual relationship with a woman his own age, Vickie, and we feel his pain as he finally reveals what she's guessed as a "dark secret" that makes his eyes so sad.

He's desperate not to reoffend, not to let his sick mind take over and near the end of the film when he approaches a young girl in the park, you find yourself willing nothing happens, not just for the little girl's sake, but for Walter's too.

It's enormously unsettling to feel so compassionate and sympathetic for a paedophile but with striking direction from Nicole Kassell and a brave performance from Kevin Bacon, The Woodsman will really get to you and upturn your preconceived ideas and stereotypes.

By dwelling on his rehabilitation into society and highlighting his struggle 'against the odds', somehow we are agreeing with this child molester when he claims: "I am not a monster."

Vic Saggers