The Walker
"The Walker", starring Woody Harrelson, directed by Paul Schrader, is an exquisite study of Washington Society. Harrelson plays a gay escort – a "walker" – whose world crumbles when he becomes an unwitting witness to a brutal murder. The bitchy shallowness of Washington's high society is captured by a distinguished cast which includes Lauren Bacall and Kristin Scott-Thomas. It has been widely praised as Schrader's finest film for years.
Anne says: "Woody Harrelson's complex character ("I'm not naïve, I'm superficial") has a surface sheen and sophistication which is undermined by a sudden and unexpected violent incident. His tenuous relationships are stretched to the limit. I wanted to underline his vulnerability by combining a comparatively small number of instruments (string quartet) with ambient synthesizers. A swaying rhythmic pulse becomes darker as the film progresses but the film ends with a note of pathos and optimism and the music finally gets let off the leash!"