The Walker (2007)

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

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writer:

Paul Schrader

Stars:

Woody Harrelson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Mungo Tenant
Michael J. Reynolds	...	Ethan Withal
Allen Lidkey	...	Andrew Salesperson
Stewart Alexander	...	Edgar

Storyline

Carter Page III holds a special place in Washington society: the gay son and grandson of powerful men, he has connections, manners, and he's no threat, so he's an available escort when a woman's husband would rather not accompany her to a public event. When the secret lover of one of his women friends is murdered, she asks Carter to cover for her, and his acquiescence gets him into immediate trouble with the police and an ambitious prosecutor. Carter, with the help of his lover Emek, starts his own investigation. They're warned off by someone's hired muscle. Can Carter figure out what happened or will he lose more than he realizes he has? Human behavior is a mystery.

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Plot Keywords:

escort | secret | gay son | murder | police | 

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Taglines:

Everyone loves a good scandal

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violent material and nude images

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

O Acompanhante

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$16,525 (USA) (7 December 2007)

Gross:

$77,177 (USA) (1 February 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kintop Pictures, Ingenious Film Partners, Animor Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the cocktail that Woody's character is seen drinking various times throughout the movie is a Sea Breeze.

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Quotes

Carter Page III: You've got to watch yourself; this is a brutal political climate. Whatever 'ruth' there was in this town, there's 'less' now than ever.

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Connections

References Antiques Roadshow (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Which Way to Turn"
Performed by Bryan Ferry
Written by Bryan Ferry
Published by EMI Publishing Ltd
Licensed Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd

User Reviews

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.