The Walker

The third in Paul Schrader's trilogy of films (the others were 1980's American Gigolo and 1992's Light Sleeper) about rootless, naive men redeemed by their passage through the seamy underside of an amoral society, The Walker is saved by a plethora of enjoyably bitchy lines aptly delivered by a solid cast. Woody Harrelson minces about and drops catty bon mots as Carter Page III, a gay southern-born gadfly who's become an adornment of D.C. high society, serving as a witty, gossip-mongering escort for rich dowagers and married ladies whose husbands are off on junkets. When one of his favorite clients (Kristin Scott Thomas) discovers her lover murdered, Carter agrees to claim that he found the body in order to protect her and her senator husband (Willem Dafoe) from bad publicity. Unfortunately, however, Carter becomes the focus of the investigation, and to save himself must unearth the truth behind the crime—an effort that draws him into a dangerous morass of financial and political corruption. The explanation for all the nefarious goings-on remains murky even after several last-act confrontations—and the ultimate revelation that Washington is a political cesspool is hardly a shocker—but the nifty dialogue and colorful performances make The Walker worth the watch. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a four-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a decent film.] (F. Swietek)