Movies - Thursday, September 10

The Age

Thursday September 3, 2009

Scott Murray

The Walker (2007)Showtime, 8.30pmIN THE 1970s, Paul Schrader proved himself a screenwriter of rare quality with The Yakuza, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. He then proved himself to be a director of equal quality with his self-penned Blue Collar, Hardcore and American Gigolo. Though he has made several superb films since, the majority of his recent work has been thin, leading to the low-point of Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. For those who revere Schrader's great works, watching a new film has become an anxious experience. But along comes The Walker, a loose remake of American Gigolo, which was in itself a loose remake of Robert Bresson's Pickpocket. Here we have Woody Harrelson's "walker" (the name given to a man, usually gay, who escorts wealthy ladies to social occasions). Carter Page III likes to think of himself as the black sheep of an illustrious Southern family. Always impeccably dressed, Carter sails through life by maintaining the politeness of society and demonstrating a Truman Capote-like wit and fondness for gossip. His lady friends (Lauren Bacall, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily Tomlin and Mary Beth Hurt) bask calmly in the knowledge that his sexual drive lies elsewhere. But that is not true of everyone in this rabidly right-wing town of Washington and Carter finds himself framed for murder. The Walker is Schrader's most stylish and elegant film in 20 years, even if the measured pace tends to try one's patience. It also lacks that moment of catharsis that made his earlier films so powerful. SCOTT MURRAY