The Walker (2007)

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writer (WGA):

Paul Schrader (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Everyone loves a good scandal

Plot:

An escort who caters to Washington D.C.'s society ladies becomes involved in a murder case.

Plot Keywords:

Threat | Washington D.C. | Police | Investigation | Gay Son

Awards:

1 win

Cast

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	...	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

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violent material and nude images.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A | Sweden:11 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Kintop Pictures

Trivia:

Paul Schrader told HX magazine that Woody Harrelson refused to do any publicity for this movie because he was dissatisfied with his own performance in it.

Quotes:

Natalie Van Miter: Memory is a very unreliable organ. Trust me Car, it's right up there with the penis.

Movie Connections:

References J. Edgar Hoover (1987) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Girl of My Best Friend

Classy, Intelligent & Engrossing

Great 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.